Pieces of a Puzzle
by siberianknight
Summary: G.W.Bleach fusion. Heero fights his attraction to Duo, when he begins to have memory flashes of someone he loved. He returns to Soul Society to find answers to his questions. 1x2x1, 3x4, and other pairings. knowledge of Bleach NOT necessary to read
1. Chapter 1

A short intro: This story is very loosely based off of Bleach. If you've never seen nor read Bleach, don't worry. I only used the ideas of Hollows (bad spirits who devour wondering souls or people's souls who have high spiritual energy), the Soul Society, and Shinigami. Other than that it's just an original story with the Gundam boys in it. Enjoy!

**Warnings:** Strong language --that's all for chapter one--   
**Pairings:** 1x2x1, 3x4, and others. 

_It was supposed to only be a surveillance mission. I didn't expect things to turn out like this. Stupid useless feelings getting me caught up in this human's life. This is why I hate humans. I only took the job because my captain had recommended me to the Center 46. I didn't expect to react this way when a Hollow attacked him. I never meant to jump in and interfere. I was only ordered to observe, even if a Hollow got near him, I was only to observe. But here I am . . . giving my life to save his sorry rear. I'm wounded now and he's staring at me with those bright blue eyes of his, worry gleaming strongly within their depths. Damn him!_

"I have to give you some of my power."

Duo looked at the Shinigami, who just a few hours, or was it moments, ago had jumped in through his second story bedroom window and had thrown him across his room to save him. His bottom was still sore from that. Now he was just talking crazy, but then again there was a large hideous monster rampaging through Duo's neighborhood, not something you see every day. "What the hell are you talking about! First this monster shows up . . . attacks my dad, then you show up out of nowhere and tell me that you are a Shinigami--oh but before you even tell me who or what you are, you throw me across my room. Don't get me wrong I'm thankful for that, but it really hurt! Oh and not to mention that you then yelled at me, because you weren't supposed to help me in any way. And you kept going on about my hair and my eyes." Duo's face scrunched up into a puzzled expression. The Shinigami groaned inwardly.

Duo took a breath, he looked as if he was about to launch into another long tirade about the Shinigami's bad habits. The Shinigami jumped in before Duo could say anything. "You talk too much."

"I get that a lot." A movement to his left alerted the Shinigami that the Hollow had found their hiding spot and was going to attack any second. He grabbed Duo around the waist and used their combined weight to throw themselves out of harm's way. "Now!"

"'Now!' What? I don't know what the _hell_ that thing is, or do I know how this so-called 'taking your power' works, or how it'll help me? I don't know anything about what's going on! And that thing's coming back!" A note of panic had reached into Duo's voice.

The Shinigami tried to ignore how close he was to Duo, instead he focused his attention on pointing his zanpakutou at Duo's heart.

"Wha--what are you doing?"

"Giving you some of my power." With that, the Shinigami plunged the sword into Duo's chest.

A bright light engulfed both men and as it receded, Duo stood before the stunned Hollow, his own zanpakutou--which was twice the size of the Shinigami's own--in his lean hands.

"Hey--ugly!" Duo grinned mischievously. "I think you need a lesson in manners. First thing you should know . . . is that you should never-ever drop in unexpected at night."

The Shinigami rolled his eyes. "Hey, Duo! Kill it! Now! Stop wasting time!"

The Hollow tried to squish Duo with its large hand. The boy deftly dodged the attack. "Oh yeah--sorry." He chuckled softly and then began to attack the Hollow.

"You'll never kill it if you don't aim for its head!"

"Gotcha!" Duo jumped gracefully into the air and brought the zanpakutou down onto the center of the Hollow's skull. The skull shattered and then a bright light enveloped the creature. Its scream faded as it disappeared.

The Shinigami stared at the back of Duo, clothed in the traditional black garb of the Shinigami. It was then that he noticed that his own clothes had changed from black to white. He slowly raised his gaze to Duo's strong back, and then passed out. 

-----

Duo stared down at the young man who was out cold. A swift poke on the cheek confirmed the Shinigami was still alive. Duo grinned at the grimace slowly molding itself on that chiseled and darkly handsome face.

The Shinigami blinked a few times before the young man with the infuriatingly smiling eyes came into focus. A grunt emerged from his chest as he sat up.

"So--question, why am I now dressed like you?"

The Shinigami groaned inwardly. He wasn't sure how it had happened, but somehow his powers had completely transferred into Duo. "I don't know."

"Hmm..." Duo crinkled his nose up. The Shinigami felt a strong urge to punch it so it wouldn't look so damn cute. "So, what now?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you can't just sit here in the middle of the street. C'mon, I'll get you something to eat and drink." Duo stood up and turned in the direction of his house. "You do eat?" He tossed a grin over his shoulder at the disgruntled Shinigami.

The two began to walk silently down the night covered street. Duo couldn't take the silence for very long. He had to say something. "You don't talk much." Wow, what a conversation starter. He knew he could come up with something better, but there was something distracting about the man's presence.

Duo's question was rewarded with an affirmative grunt.

"Ummm..." Duo desperately began to search for something to fill the empty space between the two. Anything that would make the Shinigami converse with him. After a few frustrating moments, a small smirk shone upon Duo's round face. The Shinigami took note of it, and mused that the braided-boy must have figured something out. "What's your name?"

That was what that triumphant grin was for? "It's Heero...Heero Yuy."

"So, now I actually have something other than Shinigami to call you." Duo grinned as if he now knew something no one else but the two of them knew. "That's good, because Shinigami was a mouthful."

An understanding grunt issued from Heero. Duo ignored the grunt and proceeded to ramble on about completely pointless things that no one in their right mind would care about -- at least that was Heero's opinion.

After walking for about ten minutes, the two boys arrived at a small brown two story house, which was settled against a small grass covered hill. Heero followed Duo into the house and up the narrow stair case to Duo's small and messy room. "I'll go get some food for us. Just have a seat." He flashed a bright smile at Heero and disappeared through the door.

Heero looked around the room. This was the first time he had been inside the room of the boy he had been observing for almost a year now. "He's a slob." He began to pick up the clothes which were strewn across the hardwood floor. "How can he live like this?" Heero mused quietly. "You can't even seen the floor!"

"Oh, sorry 'bout the mess." Heero's back went stiff when he realized that Duo must have overheard his talking to himself. "Here's a sandwich. I'm a bad cook, so I thought that you would rather not be poisoned."

"Thanks." Heero mumbled as he took the sandwich. The two ate in silence.

"Are you going to stay here? Or are you going back to where you came from?"

Damn him, he looked sad at the thought that Heero would be leaving. Why was he sad, he was the most popular boy at school, and had plenty of friends. What difference would one quiet guy make? "I have to stay here."

"Have to? You make it sound like a job." Duo's nose crinkled...again. "Wait! Don't tell me you're here to send off my Dad! H--he's too young. And --"

Heero cut him off. "I'm not here to do that. The Shinigami's don't take the lives of living people. We merely help wandering souls find their way to the Soul Society. It's like heaven for lost souls."

"Oh." Duo chewed on his lip for a moment. "So why do you have to stay here?"

"I was ordered to watch you. The council thought that there was something special about you. I wasn't told what, but just to observe you. When the Hollow attacked I could'nt just sit idly by and watch you and your father get hurt or worse."

"Thanks. I really appreciate your help." Duo smiled at Heero. He looked haggard, almost as if all of his energy had left his body. "You look like you need to get some sleep. I'll pull out my bed roll, and you can have my bed." Duo walked over to his closet and began to rummage around in it to find said bed roll.

"You don't have to do that. I can sleep on the floor, I don't really mind."

"No. It's cool. Take the bed." With a grunt Duo wrestled the bed roll out of the closet's clutches. A small avalanche followed the extraction of the bed roll. "Oops." Duo chuckled warmly. "I'll clean it up later."

Heero couldn't supress his laughter. "Looks like you've said that about your whole room."

"Well, you know. It's work that doesn't pay -- besides it's not really bothering me."

The two began to talk until they became tired. As Heero drifted off to sleep, he realized that he hadn't been this relaxed since before -- well in a while now. He said a special prayer of thanks for giving him this opportunity to spend time with the young man, whom he believed he had grown very fond of in the past year.

------

One Month Later...

"Shit! I'm gonna miss the bus again!" Duo rushed around his room pulling on various articles of clothing while Heero sat calmly on the edge of the bed, fully dressed for school.

"I tried to wake you up. You swung at me and called me a dirty bastard. So I left you alone and got something to eat." Heero held up the bowl of ramen he had fixed himself. Duo glared at him. Heero just grinned in return.

"Where the **hell** is my fucking sock?"

"Under your shoe." Heero pointed to the white sock tucked surreptitiously beneath Duo's loafer.

"Thanks." Duo slipped the sock onto his foot and grabbed his loafers. "Coming?" He asked halfway out of his bedroom door. Heero quietly stood and followed the still panicking Duo.

Every school morning had been like this since Heero decided to stay with Duo, instead of sneaking around and spying on the boy. Duo was a ball of energy, and he always amused Heero. It was in those moments of peace with Duo, that a memory of one special to Heero passed through his mind. In those moments of thought, Heero always changed demeanor. He wondered if Duo ever saw the change in him.

Heero couldn't remember the person's name, or even tell you the face of this person which Duo seemed to remind him of so much. It was almost as if it were just a moment of deja vu -- a misty daydream of a moment long forgotten. Happy to sit next to Duo on the bus, Heero quietly sat there, his leg just barely brushing that of Duo's.

Heero mused at how nice it was to have contact with someone again. He had missed ... what was it that he had missed? Even Trowa, another quiet touch-me-not type of guy, had commented that Heero needed more contact with people. Heero was not the sort of person who liked being close to people.

He mentally sighed. It was nice of Treize to give him his Gigai, but it was coming at a price. In the past month, Heero had been having more urges than he could control. He was coming precariously close to throwing Duo down and ... well, Duo would probably scream at him and hate him if Heero were to go through with any of his fantasies. Besides, Heero wasn't entirely certain that Duo liked boys ... that _way_.

Heero's heart sunk at the thought that possibly Duo may not ever return his feelings. However, Heero reminded himself that he had a job to do, and Duo's body was in no way part of that mission -- no matter how disappointing that fact was.

The bus came to a stop a block away from the international high school which Duo attended. Duo's father was from New York and had been working at a very large Japanese sister-company when his wife died in a car accident. Duo had been in the car with her, but he had survived the wreck ... albeit mysteriously, but survive he had. Duo's father had decided to transfer to the parent company after his wife's death. Like any ten year old, Duo was upset, but had to go along with his father's decision. He had been in Japan now for six years.

Duo turned and smiled at Heero. "We actually made it on time. I think Oka sensei will faint."

"Hmm." Heero grunted in agreement. He looked up to see his rival, WuFei, running up to greet the two of them.

"Maxwell!" WuFei's hair was down today, he looked as if he was actually becoming more aggressive in his desire toward Duo. Only Heero knew of WuFei's affinity for him. Actually it was more like an obsession. "You're actually here on time, I'm impressed."

"Yup. It's thanks to Heero. He found my missing sock that I had spent at least fifteen minutes looking for." Duo grinned at WuFei. Damn the boy, he was flirting with him. Openly too. Heero could feel himself getting angrier by the second. "Hey, Wuf ... are we still on for Saturday? I mean, if you don't want to go with me it's cool."

"Are you kidding? I love art." Heero rolled his eyes. WuFei may be a book worm, but he didn't know the first thing about art. And damnit, Heero was the one who ... wait there was that fuzzy memory of his again. Was it Duo that Heero had introduced to art. No that was ridiculous. The boy had been painting and drawing since before Heero had ever been assigned to watch him.

Heero decided that the first thing he was going to do when he got back to Soul Society was to have his memory checked. He felt as if something very important to him was missing from his memory banks, either that or he was imagining things.

"Heero?" Duo waved his hand in front of Heero's face, trying to get his attention.

"Hmn?" Heero looked over at Duo with glazed eyes.

"Are you okay? I've asked if you wanted to go with us to the gallery on Saturday three different times."

"Oh, yeah. I'd like to go too." Heero smiled softly at Duo, who in return was beaming. Heero just happened to glimpse what appeared to be a disgruntled glare upon WuFei's round face, but he wasn't certain. 

The three took their seats and the school day proceeded as usual. After school Duo, Heero, and WuFei sat on the roof of the school building. Duo handed Heero a juice pouch. Heero examined it carefully, then looked at Duo's. A straw had been inserted into the pouch, but Heero was uncertain as to how it got there. He located the straw on his, and tried to remove the plastic wrap. It fought him. He set down his juice pouch and glared at the offending plastic wrap.

"So, Duo, this artist is one of your favorites ... right?" WuFei shot a puzzled look in Heero's direction, but then focused on Duo's face.

"Yeah. I love his sense of movement in his paintings. All of them are so filled with emotion. He's really incredible."

Heero had finally successfully removed the wrap. Now the question was how did it end up in the pouch. Heero studied the pouch carefully. There was a slightly different colored circle on the front of the pouch. He glanced over at Duo's and noticed this was where the straw was to be inserted. He looked at the straw, then at the pouch. He grinned mischievously as he began to try and poke the straw into the pouch. It wouldn't go. Heero changed his hold on the pouch, so that there would be more support for the pouch so that it wouldn't move when he tried to push the straw into it. He tried again. It went in this time, but came out the back side of the pouch. Heero now had raspberry lemonade on his pants. To make it worse, it was on the crotch of his pants. Heero growled at the pouch.

"Heero? What? --" Duo closed his mouth to hide his laughter. Heero looked as if he was going to murder the juice pouch. "Come with me. I think I have an extra pair of shorts in my gym locker." Duo and Heero left the roof together, much to WuFei's disappointment.

"What exactly did you do?" Duo questioned Heero through the toilet stall door.

"I was trying to put the straw in and I think I used too much force."

Heero sounded wounded. Duo tried to perk him up a bit. "Well, at least you didn't do what I did. In art class back in Junior High, I spilt water down the front of my pants as I was talking to a girl I had a crush on. She and the rest of the class laughed at me. Of course I laughed it off too, but I never had the guts to ask her out after that."

"Oh." Heero's heart sunk. _"So he likes girls, not boys."_ He thought to himself. _"I guess it's for the best, I won't be here for ever."_

"What's with the tone in your voice? I survived it. I'm still standing -- right? You can't let things embarrass you, it just gets in the way of living. It's best to shrug things off. Most people forget those types of things, so you should be that way too. -- At least that's the way I look at it." Duo's words actually made Heero feel a little better, even though he wasn't embarrassed. Well, maybe a little. Okay, Heero had been embarrassed, but mostly because he didn't want to look like a klutz in front of Duo.

Heero opened the stall door and smiled at Duo, who smiled in turn. The two headed home, forgetting completely about WuFei, who was still on top of the school.

"They left together, I feel it." WuFei stood and walked over to the fence surrounding the roof. "As Nataku is my witness, I swear that Duo Maxwell _will_ be mine! Yuy will not have him." WuFei began to laugh softly, but as the promise penetrated his mind, it grew in volume ... and wickedness. 


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Notes:_ I was wondering how I should update this story. I can update every Sunday, which would mean probably more than one chapter per update thus giving everyone more to read. Or I can do it hapazardly (i.e. whenever I get more than one typed page written), this would mean I would update anywhere from every night (or every other night) to every 3 to four days. I'd love some feedback about this. Until I hear anything, I'm going to do the hapazard method. So if I don't update one night, that just means that real life got in the way and I couldn't write, but there probably will be something the next day. (note that I will probably very rarely update on Fridays with this method) 

**Warnings:** language, ogling of a naked Heero, playing with one's happy parts, tiniest bit of Heero angst (but the when is he not?), and a sleezy Treize (sorry, he just ended up that way -- really I love Treize.) 

-----

Heero sat across from Duo. He had his best glare placed upon his face. There was no way he was going to give an inch to the man across from him, no way was he going to let him win. Duo grunted softly. Heero tried to ignore the fact that it roused him in a way that was beginning to feel less and less foreign. 

Duo finally gave in. "I fold." 

"Ha!" Heero smirked triumphantly. 

"Yeah, yeah, don't get an ego from beating me. Just because you're the first to do so." Duo's cheeks puffed out in such a way that he looked like a disgruntled chipmunk. Heero couldn't resist. He smiled brightly at Duo. "What?" 

"Nothing." Heero was still smiling, he was _actually_ smiling. His muscles were obviously rusty from moving in this manner because shortly after the smile began, they began to burn slightly from the exercise. 

"Right. I've never seen you smile like that. Smirk ... yes. Smile ... no. So why are you smiling like that?" Heero shrugged. Duo scooted around the small coffee table until he was no more than a half an inch from Heero's face. "Why are you smiling at me like that?" 

Heero's smile disappeared and his face took on a more concerned look. He tried to back away from Duo, but Duo followed. Again, Heero backed away from Duo, only to have the distance very quickly erased by the smirking Maxwell. 

After a few more rounds of scooting away from Duo's presence, Heero found himself pressed up against the wall. He swallowed hard. There was a sparkle in Duo's eyes that made his heart begin to race. Heero's mouth parted to say something, and it was at that moment when a loud noise emanated from the front door of the house. 

"What the hell?" Duo stood and ran out of the room. Heero sat still for a few moments trying to reign in his spastic emotions and racing pulse -- Duo's yelling speeded up his recovery exponentially. 

Heero jumped to his feet and ran into the hallway. He froze in his tracks, his socked feet sliding slightly before he balanced himself. There standing in front of a growling Duo, was Treize, the man who ran the local human-world, Shinigami supply store. 

"Why Heero, this boy is being horribly rude to the man who returned him to his body." 

"Um, Duo, stop." Duo whipped around and glared at Heero. 

"Stop? This man is in my home and I don't know who the hell he is!" 

"Duo, he runs a shinigami shop in town. He gave me my gigai, my fake mortal body, and he also put your soul back in your body, since we -- well ... we forgot to do that ourselves when we left the scene of the Hollow fight." Heero looked down at his feet. He felt bad that he had forgotten to tell Duo about that, he really did; in fact there were many things that he still had not fully explained to Duo. Such as the reason why he was so quick to save Duo that day. 

"Yes little one, so I'd like an apology ... please." Treize grinned down at Duo, who gave him his best attempt at copying Heero's glare. "Fine. I won't give you the interesting news which I just heard." Treize turned to leave, but Heero grabbed his hand. 

"What's the news?" Heero's prussian blue eyes met Treize's clear blue eyes. 

"Simply, they want you to come back. There's been a death in your gotei. You've just been promoted." 

"What? You mean ... Hilde ... she --" Heero's voice trailed off. He had never been very close to the Vice Captain, but he respected her because she always did her job well. 

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Looks like Captain Akimori promoted you." 

Heero grunted, partly from disgust. He knew that Aya had other reasons for giving him the promotion. "Why didn't they just send a hell moth to inform me of this?" 

"I'm not sure." Treize shrugged, a sly grin plastered on his flawless face. "I was told by another shinigami." Treize grinned at Duo, who was still glaring at him. Duo scooted closer to Heero. 

"Well, is there anything that you'd be interested in purchasing today?" Treize finally pulled his eyes off of Duo and rested them on Heero. 

Heero's eyebrows knitted together as a rush of jealousy swept over him. "No. And I'd like it if you would leave and stop ogling Duo." 

Treize looked taken aback. "I would never do such a thing! I'm insulted. I can't help it if there are those in this world who are pretty. Beauty never escapes my notice." 

Heero grumbled under his breath. "Leave." He shoved the rude man out the door and closed it in Treize's face. 

"You're pretty too Heero." Heero's heart skipped a beat. "I mean, that was kind of rude of him to call me of all people pretty. I'm cute not pretty!" Duo's voice had a playful note in it, and as Heero turned around the two smiled at each other. It was as if they could read each other so easily. It was going to be very hard to go back, in fact ... Heero was now doubting that he wanted to. 

-----

Saturday came very quickly as far as Heero was concerned. He was really looking forward to seeing Duo's expressions and reactions to the different works of art. There was no doubt in Heero's mind that Duo wasn't going to be full of beautiful happy and contented responses. 

Heero sighed out loud as he stood in the shower picturing Duo's glowing face as he viewed a painting. He knew that he was falling even harder for Duo since he had began living with him. There was no denying that, the problem was that he was in a gigai, and that his powers had almost fully regained themselves. It was almost time for him to make the journey back home. Heero knew that Duo wouldn't miss him the way he would Duo. That was etched painfully in his mind and on his heart. Heero's leaving would only hurt himself. 

Heero stepped out of the shower and grabbed his towel. He quickly dried himself and then slung the towel over his shoulder. He softly pushed open the door, which led to the toilet and vanity area of the bathroom, Duo had turned around after having flushed the toilet. Their eyes met. 

Heero simply stared wide eyed at Duo, whose eyes slowly slid down Heero's damp body. Duo's adam's apple moved slightly as he swallowed; Heero noticed that his eyes had stopped at a certain location. He looked down and noticed that Duo's presence had obviously affected him, and the fact that he was now staring at Heero's crotch was not helping any -- in fact it was getting worse by the second. 

Heero quickly snatched the towel and covered himself. "Sorry." He grunted. "It's hot in here." 

"Um ... yeah -- hot." Duo looked slightly dazed. Heero watched him as he slowly turned and bumped into the door frame. Duo snickered a little and then fled through the open portal. 

Heero stood gazing at the doorway for a few moments wondering why Duo had stared at him the way he had. Maybe the fact that Heero had become aroused by his gazing, had made him stare. Heero shook his head trying to clear it of the confusion which was now starting to build. He tossed the towel in the hamper and began to work his frustrations out. 

As he stood, one hand bracing him against the wall, the other working against him, a vague memory drifted into his mind. A memory of a young man lying on his bed, lost in the white hot heat of passion. Heero's strong hand working, kneading, and tugging ... touching all the right spots which made his partner beg for more. He could remember his scent and his long sinewy legs moving restlessly on the bed. There was something ... familiar about him, but no matter how hard Heero thought, all he could see was the lower half of the young man. 

Heero groaned as he released, and he stood there staring down into the toilet. He wanted to remember who the man was, and why he couldn't remember. It was very puzzling that he continued to have these seemingly random flashes of what appeared to be memories, yet he couldn't place them. The images all seemed like they belonged to him, but yet he couldn't remember any details about the times in the memories or anything else for that matter. It was only what presented itself in his mind that he could remember.

Heero reached down and flushed then turned to the mirror. He sighed heavily, and thought to himself. _"I shouldn't think about it. It's probably just random memories from my mortal life. I've heard people having those before. I'll go to the psychiatrist when I go back to Soul Society."_ However that thought somehow seemed almost like he was evading the truth. Somewhere deep inside, Heero knew that was not what the memories were, but right now he didn't want to question what they were. He wanted to enjoy his time with Duo. 

-----

WuFei and Heero were walking quietly behind Duo. The whole night had been filled with tension for Heero. The fact that the time of his having to leave Duo rapidly approaching was only the beginning of his worries. WuFei was proving relentless in his mission to make Duo realize his affections. Heero cast a glance at WuFei who was beginning to speak with Duo about a sculpture which, to Heero, looked like a jumble of wires. 

Heero had never really appreciated modern art; he had always favored that of the Pre-Raphaelites and Impressionists. He felt that those paintings had more depth to them than any of the modern era paintings and sculptures. Heero snapped back to reality when he heard Duo's voice addressing him. "Huh?" Heero looked into Duo's expressive blue eyes, it was a wonder his knees held his weight at that moment. 

Duo chuckled softly, another knee melting aspect of his. "I asked if you were getting hungry." 

"Oh. Um ..." Heero's stomach growled in response to the thought of food. He laughed lightly. "I think I am." 

"Cool. We can go and eat now. I've looked at everything,." Heero reached out to take Duo's hand without thinking. The look of surprise on Duo's face caused him to pause, but soon his large hand was intwined with Duo's warm slender hand. WuFei's jaw gaped open as the two walked past him. A muttering was all that issued forth from his mouth. 

Heero was glowing on the inside. This touch was what he had been craving for an entire month ... no year. Maybe longer than that. Heero's head began to pound as yet another memory tried to rush to cloud reality. He grabbed his head with both hands and bent over in pain. 

Worry glistening in Duo's eyes, he quickly helped Heero over to a bench. "Are you okay?" 

Heero groaned in pain. "I'm -- not -- sure." 

Duo looked around frantically; he had to find some help, and quickly. However, the streets were very crowded, and no on was paying any attention to the two boys on the bench. A movement to his right caught Duo's attention. He turned in that direction as a deep voice began to speak. "You know, Heero, this makes you look _really_ uncool." 

"Shut the hell up, Trowa. I don't know what's going on with me." Heero glared at the man sitting on the back of the bench. He was clothed in a shinigami uniform, Duo assumed that he must be like Heero then. 

"Are you a shinigami?" Duo asked simply. 

"You can see me?" Trowa was genuinely surprised, and it showed on his usually non-expressive face. 

"Yeah, why am I not supposed to?" 

"Well, most people can't." Trowa's eyes began to sparkle with suppressed humor. "Well, you have been our target for a year now." 

"Target?" Duo looked anxiously at Heero who had his face buried in his hands. Heero was not about to face Duo. "What do you mean by that?" 

"Well, we were unsure if you were a friend or a foe. You do have a very high spiritual energy level, and well ... let's just say that about 200 years ago that a nasty incident arose because we didn't pay any attention to things such as that." 

"Oh." Heero noted that Duo had relaxed some after Trowa's explanation. It did make sense after all, but what didn't make sense were these blinding moments of pain which were now accompanying his flashes of memories. 

"You've come to escort me back ... haven't you Trowa." Heero looked at the man who had been his friend since the days of living in the Rukongai. They had been close and shared many of the experiences of fighting to stay alive in those slums. 

"Actually ... no I'm not. I just was in the neighborhood and thought I'd say hello." 

Heero grunted and leaned back. "I need to speak with you alone." 

"Alright. I'll find Quatre and meet you back and Duo's house. You two enjoy dinner." With a quick soft smile, Trowa leaped from the bench up to the nearest rooftop and disappeared from sight. 

"That was interesting." Duo murmured. 

"Yeah. I feel okay now. We can start walking to the cafe again." Heero stood and offered his hand down to Duo. Again those long fingers slipped into Heero's strong thick hand and they walked quietly to the cafe where WuFei was waiting impatiently. 

"Where in Nataku's name did you two disappear to!" WuFei demanded as Duo and Heero sat down at the table. 

"We saw an old friend of mine." Heero answered in a level tone. 

"Oh." WuFei picked up the menu and began leafing through it, all the while peeking at the two who sat across from him. They were giving each other knowing looks. 

-----

Heero rolled over on his side and looked at Duo, who was sprawled out in the floor ... sound asleep. In fact Duo was snoring softly. Heero gently crept out of bed, and went down the stairs. He wasn't sure why he was being so quiet since Duo and his father both slept like the dead, but he was still quiet as he slipped outside. 

Trowa was sitting on a small stone wall which surrounded the house. Quatre was leaning against him, lost in sleep. "Trowa." Heero whispered. 

"Hey. I was wondering what was taking so long." 

"I waited until Duo had fallen asleep." 

"What was it that you wanted?" 

"I want to know why I'm having what seem to be memory flashes. They just pop into my head at random times. Sometimes I have a headache, other times I'm fine." 

Trowa seemed to mull over what Heero had just relayed to him. "Sounds like you need to speak with Une." 

"That was my conclusion as well. But ... do you think it might be from my previous life? When I was mortal and on Earth." 

"No." The answer came quickly and curtly. Heero was slightly taken aback at Trowa's speed in answering his question. 

"You know something don't you." 

"No ... _I_ don't." 

"Then who does?" Heero was getting impatient. He wanted to figure out what was wrong with him now, this night. Not months down the line after spending time in Une's psychiatric office. 

"That I can't tell you. All I know, is that you should stay with Duo." 

Quatre made a faint noise as his eyes fluttered open. "Heero-kun?" 

"Quatre." Heero made a brief greeting to the sleepy-eyed blond. 

Quatre yawned nosily and stretched, nearly pushing Trowa off his perch. "Sorry." Quatre flashed Trowa an apologetic smile and then turned to gaze at Heero. "Heero, it's time for us to take you back." 

"What do you mean!" Heero turned to Trowa, anger flaring in his deep blue eyes. "You told me that it wasn't time yet. That you weren't here for that!" 

Quatre hopped down from his seat behind Trowa. He walked over to Heero and looked up into his face. "We're taking both of you back." 

-----

A mortal body shell which an injured Shinigami inhabits until they are fully recovered.

This is Japanese term for team or group (very very lose translation). In the Bleach world there are 13 of these. I've decided that's a good number so I didn't change it. Heero belongs to the 11th gotei. (the strongest one in the Bleach world.)

This is a slum like area where many of the souls that are sent to Soul Society live. It surrounds the main part of Soul Society where the Shinigami live. Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively. 


	3. Chapter 3

  
_Author's Notes:_ I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this. I've decided to switch to updating _**every**_ Sunday. Which means I may be posting partial chapters. Please note the 'Chapter Status' that I've added under the warnings. 

WARNINGS: Language, Lime scene, Heero angst (and it's only going to get worse after this chapter.) 

CHAPTER STATUS: _**COMPLETE**_

**Please make sure you have read all of Chapter 2 because I added to the chapter after my initial post. --Thanks Siberianknight **

-----

"What!" Heero stared into Quatre's peaceful face. There was no way that he could take Duo to Soul Society, no matter how much Heero wanted to. 

"I said, both of you will come with us. It's the only logical method." Quatre smiled the same innocent smile as always. Heero knew that if Quatre was the one telling him this, then it was true. The blond boy was more an angel than a shinigami. Heero grunted in frustration. 

Trowa hopped deftly from his perch upon the wall. "Quatre's telling you that--" 

Heero cut him off. "That what? You're going to _kill_ Duo! I won't have that!" He reached out to grab Trowa's collar, but the tall man was too fast and quickly sidestepped Heero's attempt. 

Trowa grinned into Heero's glare. "No. If we did that, we would be uncertain that he would turn into a Plus." 

Heero grunted, again. Trowa was beginning to anger him. These two knew something, and they were very unwilling to share whatever it was with him. "Then why does Quatre feel it's the only logical method?" 

"Because, you love him don't you?" Quatre's blue-green eyes glowed as he gazed at Heero, who quickly looked off to the side to hide his embarrassment. "You do." Quatre stated with a gleeful clap of his small hands. 

"Yes." His answer was ground out through clinched teeth. Heero was certainly not used to sharing _this_ much with others. 

"Well, then ... like Quatre said, 'it's the only logical method.'" Trowa's arm gently wrapped itself around Quatre's waist as he awaited a response from Heero. 

Heero's mind was racing, trying to determine how Duo would be able to crossover, and live in Soul Society. As he was thinking, the noise of the front door being pushed open caused him to whip around. Duo was standing in the doorway. His hair was tousled and he was yawing. He had never looked more beautiful to Heero. There was no way he could leave him behind. "_But that's being selfish._" A small voice inside him chastised. 

Heero clinched his fists, and cleared his throat. "Duo," he began softly, "would you go back with me to Soul Society? --if we can figure out how." Heero's voice trailed off to a mumble as he realized they hadn't figured that part out yet -- or at least _he_ didn't know how they were going to perform that miracle. 

"Huh?" Duo walked up to the small group and looked at each one with bleary eyes. "Hey, Heero, isn't that your friend from earlier?" 

"Um, yeah, it is. Duo, they told me that you can go back with me." Heero's eyes were pleading with Duo to say yes, of course even if he didn't give his consent, Heero felt that he would most likely kidnap Duo and take him anyway. 

"Wow. Go to Soul Society. Sounds interesting." Duo appeared to be in thought. Heero felt that Duo was taking way too long to come to a decision. 

"Well?" 

"'Well' what! I'm thinking. I'd be leaving everything behind here, and living as a ghost -- right?" 

"Well, not exactly." Trowa stepped forward and stood next to Duo. "You see, since you have a shinigami within you, you would simply leave your body behind and come with us." 

"Trowa ..." Heero growled low and dangerously. "You said you weren't going to kill him." 

"I'm not." 

"It's the same thing. Once the life chain is severed --which it will be since his spirit will be in Soul Society-- his body will begin to decompose." Heero rolled his eyes at Trowa; he was amazed that Trowa was considered to be one of the most intelligent shinigami. Heero was beginning to question that title. 

"But you want him to be with you." Trowa had a puzzled expression on his face. 

"Yes, but not if he has to leave his body behind." 

"Well he can't very well take it with him!" Trowa's voice elevated slightly from its usual softness. 

"I know that. It's just--" 

"Hey, guys. Shouldn't this be _my_ decision?" Duo asked, a small smirk glowed upon his round face. "I want to stay with Heero. There's something ... I can't explain it, but there's something about him. I feel--comfortable when I'm around him. I'm happy." Duo gazed into Heero's eyes. In that one look, Heero could see all of Duo's feelings for him. "Can I have one day to say goodbye to WuFei and my father?" 

"You mean --you're going with us?" Quatre threw his arms enthusiastically around Duo's neck and hugged him. 

Duo looked directly into Heero's face, and with strong conviction answered Quatre's question. "Yes. I am." 

"Excellent. Well, we'll be back tomorrow night. Please be prepared for your journey." With that simple request, Trowa took Quatre's hand and turned away from Heero and Duo. 

Heero looked down at his feet, slightly embarrassed from his show of emotions. Duo's long fingers gently pressed against his chin, so that Heero would look at him again. "I--I was afraid that you didn't feel the same way for me, as I do you." Heero swallowed hard, trying to hold back the emotions which he was always so skillful in controlling. 

"It's funny. I didn't really think about it, until the day when Treize showed up. Remember, I got really close to you--teasing you? You blushed the entire time. Plus it didn't help matters when I saw you naked after that. I must say you're nicely--ahem--built." Duo blushed slightly causing Heero to smile. 

"Are you sure you want to give up your life?" 

"Absolutely." Duo slung his arm across Heero's shoulders and the two walked back into the house, and up to Duo's room together. 

-----

Heero watched as Duo's eyes moved behind his closed lids. The two of them were cuddled together on the floor; Duo had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit his pillow, but Heero couldn't sleep. He just laid there watching Duo, feeling as if, at some point, he had done this before. 

Heero reached out and ran his fingers through the loose strands of Duo's long chestnut hair. He gently pulled a lock close to his nose and inhaled Duo's scent, grinning at the warm sensations which coursed throughout his body. Heero leaned in closely and tenderly pressed his lips against Duo's slightly parted mouth. The action produced a low soft groan from Duo, who shifted slightly to get closer to the warmth which Heero's body offered. 

Duo surprised him by lightly running the tip of his tongue across Heero's overly sensitive lips. Heero jerked away, shocked at the feelings which that small touch had caused. He stared wide-eyed at Duo who's own eyes were fluttering open. "Heero? What's wrong?" 

"N-n-nothing." Heero covered his mouth with his hand. That tiny kiss had lit fires within Heero, and those fires were scaring him. 

Duo sat up and stared down at Heero. His long hair was falling out of his braid and part of it was resting on Heero's bare chest. A tingling sensation began quietly in the area where Duo's hair touched his skin, and spread rapidly to other areas of his body. Heero was becoming aroused, and could do nothing to stop it. 

"You look like a scared rabbit." Duo laid back down, this time he rested his head on the bend of Heero's arm, which was tucked beneath his head. Duo wrapped his fingers around the hand which was covering Heero's mouth, and gently pulled the hand away. "You shouldn't be scared of a little kiss." Duo grinned that smirk which made Heero melt. As their lips touched, they moved their bodies to press against each other, and Heero realized that Duo was as aroused as he was. This made him grin mentally. 

Duo's tongue glided along Heero's lips once again, but this time Heero was prepared. His tongue quickly darted out and slid sensuously against Duo's. The kiss intensified as Heero pressed Duo onto his back, their mouths demanding more from each other. Heero tore his mouth away from Duo's and looked down at his love. Duo's eyes held strong flecks of indigo within their blue depths, something which no one else but Heero was ever going to see. 

Heero lowered his head down against Duo's slender neck and began to nibble at his ear. The shinigami was rewarded with a rich throaty moan. Duo began to move against Heero. "Heero..." Duo groaned and grabbed Heero's hand. He led the hand down to his boxers. Heero instinctively wrapped his fingers around Duo and squeezed. Heero raised his head and looked down to where his hand rested against Duo. "Take them off." Duo's voice startled Heero, who turned to look into Duo's face. Cheeks flushed, lips red and swollen, and small love bites littered Duo's neck. He was asking for more. Heero thought for a few heartbeats that this was too soon. They had just confessed tonight, but--Duo wanted him. 

Heero nodded, and pulled off Duo's blue and white striped boxers. He gazed at the young man's body, Heero could hardly breathe. "Beautiful," was all that he could muster to come forth from his parched mouth. 

Heero's slightly rough hands began to stroke a path from Duo's thighs to the hem of his shirt, which was quickly removed. Heero's mouth began again at the base of Duo's neck, and using a nipping and licking method, blazed a trail down and across Duo's chest. He paused momentarily at both nipples, making sure that they were both teased. 

Heero's mouth explored every inch of Duo's body before he ventured to the spot which had moved this night forward. His hand slid along the inner part of Duo's thigh. "Heero." Duo growled. "Stop teasing, I'm not a girl." 

Heero laughed. "But it's fun. It's driving you crazy." He received an angry grunt from Duo. Heero began to cup, squeeze, and stroke Duo into a panting frenzy. It didn't take long for him to climax and release. Heero drew his hand away and gazed down at the warm sticky white liquid which covered his hand. He slowly drew a finger into his mouth and began to clean his hand with his tongue. Duo watched with passion glazed eyes and a satisfied smile upon his glowing face. Heero laid down beside Duo and drew him close to his own sweat-laden body. 

"Heero, you can't hold it in." Duo began to nibble at Heero's neck, who willingly passed all control over to his partner. Long fingers grazed over the hardened planes of Heero's chest and abdomen. Duo moved his mouth down onto one of Heero's hard nipples. He playfully ran his teeth against the bud; Heero thought that he would go mad from the pleasure which ran rampant through his veins. Duo continued to bite gently on the two nubs, which were causing very amusing reactions in Heero. 

While Heero was reeling from the sensations of Duo's mouth, those long agile fingers grabbed ahold of the waistband of his boxers. Duo yanked them down enough to wrap his fingers around that which he sought. He squeezed tightly; a groan of pleasure tore from Heero's panting mouth. Heero was amazed at how much better it felt to have someone else's hand caressing him. Duo looked at Heero's flushed face. "What do you want me to do?" 

"Don't ... stop." Duo claimed Heero's mouth in a fierce wet kiss. Their tongues melded together in a sensual rhythm that matched the movement of Heero's hips. Despite the overwhelming bliss which was coursing through him, there was something in the back of his mind that wouldn't let him give in completely to the pleasure. It gnawed slowly on his subconscious, persistently trying to gain his attention, but Heero continued to push it away. He wanted to lose himself in Duo's kisses, in his caresses, in his love, but there was something a memory -- that wouldn't let him. 

Duo pulled his mouth away from Heero's, which caused him to momentarily come back to reality. "What--?" He began, but soon the warm sensation of rough tongue rubbing against the most sensitive part of him caused his mind to reel. Heero lost all sense of himself as Duo's mouth became a warm haven for him. 

Duo gently licked away the last evidence of their lovemaking, before he moved back to rest at Heero's side. "Why did you do that?" Heero looked over at Duo, who had a mischievous grin upon his beautiful face. 

"Because -- I wanted to. Did you not want me to?" Duo looked worried, as if he may have overstepped some invisible boundary which Heero had set up for them before they had began playing. 

"No -- it's not that. I was just surprised that you ... well went so far so fast." Heero looked off to the side. That same nagging memory pulled at him, and he wondered why Duo was causing him to feel so sad and lonely. 

"I've never done that before -- if that's what you're implying. You're my first everything, well besides kissing -- I _have_ done that before." Duo smiled and pulled his cover over them. 

"I don't mind. I just -- never mind. It's nothing." Heero looked over at Duo, hoping that Duo would let it pass because even Heero was unsure of what was causing the confusion within him. Duo leaned in and kissed Heero good night and snuggled up against Heero. 

As Heero lay there with Duo tucked in his arms, the something which had been in the back of his mind began to push forward. He closed his eyes and allowed the thought or memory to take root in his mind's eye. 

-----

It was an ordinary day in Soul Society. The sun was shining and the voices drifted into Heero's room from outside. He rolled over lazily and gazed out the open window next to his bed. Somehow the sun just didn't seem as happy today as it had before. 

A knock on the door pulled Heero out of bed and into his clothes. He wearily swung open the door. Aya stood there with her best patronizing look plastered on her flawless face. Her brown eyes looked Heero up and down, and then she shook her head. "If you have any aspirations then you'll shave and drag your sorry butt out of this room!" Captain Akimori began walking around Heero's messy room picking up discarded pieces of clothing and food containers. "Honestly, Yuy, what would--" 

"Don't. I don't want to hear it!" Heero glared at Aya, noble family or not, he was not going to have her force him to face reality. 

"Fine. I just wish though that you would get your act together, and go back to work. It's very hard not having one of my best officers." Aya sat primly down on the edge of Heero's full sized bed. She reminded Heero of vulture--a polite one. 

"Look, I don't feel well. I'm going back to bed." 

"You've been saying that for five months now Heero." Aya looked down at her hands which where folded in her lap. "Heero, Dr. Une wishes to see you." 

"Yeah, I know." Heero growled. He leaned against his dresser and stared at the picture frame which was turned face down. His captain was right, he couldn't stay cooped up for the rest of his life, but it was just so much easier since he felt dead inside. Heero looked over at Aya. Every one of her dark brown hairs were perfectly placed in an elaborate knot at the back of her small head. To the person who gazed upon her, they would find her very beautiful, not to mention kind and proper. Heero thought she was the most hideous person in existence at the moment because she wouldn't just let him curl up and die. "Tell her I'll be there this afternoon." 

"I will." Aya smiled and as she walked past Heero she gently patted his shoulder. "I hope you can work everything out, and come back to work." 

Heero grunted in affirmation. After the door closed behind Aya, Heero crumpled to the floor. His broad shoulders began to tremble as tears ran uncontrollably down his chiseled face. Violent sobs racked his usually stalwart body. Minutes turned into hours as he sat on the floor fluctuating between crying and retching. Finally he calmed somewhat. 

Heero began to stand, but something caught his attention. It was white, and looked like ribbon. Heero pulled it out from underneath the dresser and a pain grew within his chest as he gazed at the long piece of satin. "Why? Why ..." Heero began to break down once again into anguished tears. 

It was with bloodshot eyes that he walked into Dr. Une, Psychiatrist to the Shinigami's office. "Ah, Heero, I was wondering if you were going to show up or not." Dr. Une stood and offered Heero a chair, which he slumped into. 

"I didn't want to come. Captain Akimori made me." Heero's bottom lip protruded in an angry pout. 

"Hmm. So you're still refusing to speak with anyone?" 

Heero glared at Une. 

"I see. Heero, I'd like to make an offer to you." 

"What kind of offer?" Heero was so tired. He was tired of everything. All he wanted was to disappear; nothing mattered anymore, so he didn't even see the point in speaking with Dr. Une. There was no one who could pull him out of his grief, and yet everyone wanted to help him. If they would just let him die in peace then the screams in his head would vanish; he would no longer see the blood on his clothes or feel the weight of the dead body held tightly in his arms as the last bit of life ebbed away. However, no matter how many times Heero tried to convince them, no matter how many times he tried to run away, and no matter how many times he tried to kill himself -- they still fought to force him to live and to remain with them. 

"It's simple really. We'll erase all your memories." 

Heero's reddened eyes narrowed dangerously. In a low, soft, and dangerous voice he warned Une. "Do not **ever** offer me that again. Do you understand?" 

Dr. Une's eyes widened with fright. She swallowed hard and nodded in agreement. "I--I'm so sorry, Heero. I just thought since you're having a hard time adjusting. That ... well ... it might help." 

Heero stood and walked to the door. With one hand on the knob, he turned to face Une. "I'll go back to work -- if that's what everyone wants. But I will **_not_** have my memories erased. It's all I have left." 

Heero's abilities as a shinigami were dangerous and reckless as he began to work again. More than once did he put other shinigami in the path of harm, and to make things worse, he had also harmed bystanders and destroyed a few buildings. 

"It's a damn good thing for you, Heero, that we can give people new memories. Otherwise the world would think that something catastrophic was happening!" Trowa ran his long fingers through his short hair. 

Heero looked at his childhood friend. He decided that he hated the boy's bangs because they masked too much of his face. He knew that Trowa was looking at him with pity in those grey-green eyes, but that damned una-bang was in the way to verify. "Fuck off, Trowa." Heero walked away calmly from Trowa who stared slack-jawed at Heero's stiff back. 

Heero had tried -- he had, but it just wasn't working. His anger was starting to boil forth every time he came in contact with a Hollow. He stalked angrily into his room and slammed the door shut. 

Heero ripped off his clothes and flung himself belly down on his soft bed. He pulled the pillow, which lay to his left, over to his face. He inhaled the scent trapped within the pillow, it was beginning to fade. Tears welled up in Heero's deep blue eyes, and he curled into a miserable ball, all the while holding the pillow tightly against him. 

Long after Heero had slipped into a fitful sleep, a hand clamped down over his mouth, awakening him. He fought against the hand and the blackness which seemed to be slowly devouring him. Soon Heero's body began to feel heavy, and was no longer responding to his demand to fight. The last thing he remembered was being lifted into the air and flying. 

-----

Heero forced himself to open his eyes. He sputtered and coughed as he tried to extract the hair which he had inhaled a few moments earlier. Duo was spooned up against Heero, sound asleep. Relieved that the misery and pain had only been a dream, he drew Duo's fingers through his own. "I love you." Heero whispered into the mess of hair, which was still threatening his right for air. 

Duo smiled and drew their intwined hands up to his mouth, where he brushed a light kiss against Heero's fingers. "I love you back." Heero looked down at Duo, completely puzzled by the fact that he had garnered a response from the other man. The impish face held a small grin, but Duo's eyes were still shut. 

"Are you asleep?" Heero asked quietly. 

"Sort of. I woke up when you spoke." Duo rolled over onto his back and drew Heero's head against his chest. Their fingers were still linked together, and Duo was gently stroking Heero's hair and back with his free hand. Heero's eyes fluttered closed and he soon relaxed enough for sleep to claim him. 

A good earth-bound spirit. A wondering spirit. (I should've called them this earlier, but I didn't. --sorry)   
To those Bleach purists that may be reading this: Please don't get upset with the chain bit. I cannot remember what exactly it's called. 


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Notes_: Okay, I _have_ chapter five completed too, but there were some problems with the continuity of Heero's personality. Bascially he started acting more like myself instead of Heero. Heero's not a girl. So, I have to fix it, and then I'll post it ... probably Monday. 

Warnings: Angst, smoochy-facing, language. 

Chapter Status: COMPLETE 

Heero rolled over and extended his arm to wrap around Duo, but there was nothing there. Grunting, Heero opened his eyes to find himself alone in the small bedroom. He stretched and crawled out of the bedroll. As he was walking toward his discarded clothes, he stepped on a piece of paper. It was a note from Duo. He had gone out to spend the day with WuFei. This made Heero feel slightly abandoned, but he quickly squashed his insecurity. 

Heero had to go and see Treize today; he needed to see how difficult it was going to be to separate from his gigai. The shower washed away the sleep from his body, his mind drifted to the events of the previous night. A warmth spread through him as he remembered Duo's hands and mouth, but that warmth was soon erased with feelings of sorrow and betrayal. 

Heero's eyes flew open. He had remembered something. It was very small, but it was still a definite memory. This realization confirmed for Heero that the visions had not been vision, but actual events and memories locked within his mind. "There was someone ... I shared my life with someone. Who was it?" Heero concentrated hard on the memory. The memory of someone he had loved, and shared everything with, including the darkest parts of himself. 

The feelings attached to this person were very strong, Heero could feel warm arms encircling him. Hair gently brushing against his cheek and chest. Then the vision faded. The answer was just out of his reach, Heero could feel it. "Why can't I remember? Why have I forgotten?" Then he remembered the dream he had only hours earlier. Dr. Une had said something about erasing his memory. What if that had happened? Was it even possible? Heero was unsure that it could be done, but then the scientists in Soul Society were always busy trying to come up with new inventions. Besides, it was possible to rewrite mortal memories, why not completely erase ones? 

Heero showered quickly and threw on his tee-shirt and jeans, and headed in the direction of Treize's shop. 

It was closed. That's what the large red and white sign said on the door, but yet the hours listed stated that it should be open. Heero glared angrily at the door; he was going to see Treize if he had to hunt him down like a wild dog. He slammed his fist hard against the door, attempting to gain someone's attention. 

After a few moments, a young girl with red hair opened the door, just a crack, big enough to see who was making such a fuss. "H--hello?" She inquired in a small soft voice. 

"Is Treize in?" Heero tried to soften his voice, but by the wince which appeared briefly on the girl's round face, he knew he had failed. 

"Um ... are you Heero-kun?" 

"Yes." The girl crooked her finger, a gesture asking him to bend down to her level. 

"He is, but I'm not supposed to let you in." 

Heero couldn't resist the laugh which bubbled forth. "Oh. Are you going to let me in, anyway?" 

The girl nodded, her brick red curls bouncing up and down with the action. She stepped back slightly and spread the door open. She curtsied as Heero stepped through the portal. "He's in the back. Would you like something to drink?" 

Heero grunted affirmatively and sat in a nearby chair. 

After a few moments, the girl returned with a glass of water. "I'm sorry, we didn't have anything else." 

Heero smiled at her, hoping to reassure her. The girl climbed into a chair next to Heero and stared at him. "What?" 

"You don't look scary. Mr. Treize told me you were scary." 

This made Heero laugh out loud. "Scary? Yeah, I guess I can be." 

"Ah." The girl looked down at her swinging legs. 

"What's your name?" 

She looked up at him and beamed. "Honor. I work for Mr. Treize." 

Heero opened his mouth to ask a few more questions when he spotted Treize in the back room. "Thank you for the water, Honor." Heero set down his glass and head for Treize. 

"Why Heero-kun, I'm surprised to see you here." 

"Why does your store say you're closed, and why the hell don't you want to see me?" Treize starred slack-jawed at Heero. 

"Who told you I didn't want to see you?" Treize peeked into the store front and glared at Honor, who hid sheepishly. 

"No one, I just assumed it." 

"Well, I never said it." Treize's eye twitched slightly as he replied, but Heero let it go unnoticed. "So, do you need something? I have some new items I believe you might be interested in." 

"No. I want to know how high my synch level is with this gigai." 

"Hmm, that'll take a an hour or two to get accurate readings. Would you like the easy quick reading, or the more accurate?" 

"More accurate. I have things I need to ask you while we're waiting." Treize nodded his head and led Heero into a secret room, behind the store room, in which they were previously standing. A large needle-like object was stuck into Heero's body. 

"Now we wait." Treize sat on a crate which was near the chair Heero had occupied. "What is it that you wished to ask me?" 

"It's about memories. Can they be erased?" Heero held his breath, praying that Treize would say no, they couldn't be erased. 

"Completely?" 

He was playing with him. Heero could tell, there was an unnatural gleam in the other man's eyes. "Yes. Can select memories be erased?" 

"I know that a few of the scientists in Soul Society have been trying to perfect that technology for mortals so that we can use it instead of performing a memory chikan. But alas, the technology is still not there. The memories often returned after only a few weeks." Treize pondered this for a few moments, before adding more. "Though, the last time I heard about that technology was at least seventy years ago." 

Heero's eyes widened. If that was true, then it was possible that they had improved it to the point where it did work. "So you're saying that it didn't work on mortals?" 

"Yes. It never worked on them. And, as I said, I'm not sure they ever got it _to_ work." 

"What about on shinigami? Did they ever test it on us?" Again Heero waited anxiously to hear what Treize knew, terrified that his suspicions were true. 

"I -- I'm not really allowed to speak of that." Treize stood and began to walk around the room. "You see, this is a top-secret project, I'm not even supposed to know it exists." 

"But, I had a flashback. Dr. Une asked me if I wanted the procedure. So if it's top-secret why did she risk the chance of my saying 'no.' Which I did." Heero was puzzled, why would Dr. Une be so reckless? She was always so precise and careful. This whole situation made absolutely no sense to Heero. 

"She asked you that?" Treize turned and gazed at Heero, an odd expression on his face. Now, Heero wondered just how much Treize knew about what was going on; he appeared to know much about the memory erasing, but the expression which he held on his flawless face, told Heero that maybe there were some things which he didn't know. 

"Yes. I don't remember everything. Last night, I had a dream, well I thought it was a dream. But, everything could have actually happened." Heero sighed, his heart growing heavier by the second. He needed to speak with someone who had taken part in this memory. Perhaps Captain Akimori, but for some reason, Heero's stomach turned at the thought of talking with her about his memory loss. 

"Interesting. I'll have to speak with Une about this. Maybe she can help you." Treize grinned at Heero causing a shiver to run down his spine. 

"You know something ... don't you." 

"I know only what I hear from my two girls. They keep in touch with Soul Society for me. Since I'm no longer allowed up there." 

Heero gazed down at his feet, completely crushed that he was going to leave with no new knowledge. "Thanks for your help." 

"I don't give it for free. You have to buy something now." Treize smiled his most charming of smiles, and then proceeded to sell his wares to Heero, who only bought a rose for Duo. "I was hoping you would buy something more expensive." Treize pouted as he began to put away everything he had dragged out to show Heero. 

"This is all he needs." Heero twirled the red rose with his fingers, he was unaware of the bright smile which was slowly creeping its way across his face. 

"'_He_'? Who is this that you speak of?" 

"No one." Heero grumbled; he didn't mean to allow that to slip. Although, Heero felt that Treize already knew that he had fallen in love with the man he had been told to watch. 

"I _can_ tell you about that." Heero hungrily took the bate which Treize fed him. 

"About what?" 

"About your mission. Haven't you wondered why you've not been contacted by anyone?" 

"What do you mean? Trowa and Quatre contacted me yesterday." 

"No. Not that. You've been on one case for a year now. Don't you find that odd?" 

"Well, I never really thought much about it. It was my mission." Heero was confused. Why was Treize bringing up his mission? Center 46 had sent the briefing to Aya, who then passed it on to ... Trowa. Wait, that was odd, why was an underling giving him a mission? Why wasn't his captain? "Are you saying I was given a false mission? But, they knew where I was ... so why didn't someone --?" Heero's voice trailed off as reality hit him. There was something going on, and it had to be related to his missing memories. 

"Who gave you the mission? It was Trowa, correct?" Treize received a nod from Heero. "My, yes, that is odd. A fourth ranked shinigami giving a third ranked shinigami his mission briefing. Very odd indeed." 

Heero was getting tired of Treize's nonchalant attitude. "Tell me what you know. Now." He was trying to keep his anger from boiling over, but the smirk on Treize's face only infuriated Heero more. 

"I know that your past is directly connected to what is going on now. As for the details, I'm sadly not privy to those. You best ask your captain and Dr. Une for the missing parts." 

"Missing parts? He doesn't look like he's missing parts." A blond girl popped up from behind the crates and gazed at Heero with a curious glint in her sea-green eyes. 

"Ah, Kenzie, back from running around are we?" Treize sat down next to where Kenzie was leaning against the crates. 

"Yup. Who's the old guy?" She pointed a small index finger at Heero, who thought that she was as polite as Duo. 

"This is Heero. He's a shinigami." 

"Cool. Where's Honor?" Kenzie hoisted herself over the the crate and landed on Heero's foot. Heero winced in pain, but kept his mouth clamped shut. "Huh?" Kenzie looked down and noticed she was standing on the shinigami's foot. "Sorry." She moved and then turned to go to the front of the store. 

"Kenzie ..." Treize began in a warning tone. "I need your report." 

"There's nothing to report. It's very quite out there actually. No Hollow activity." The girl shrugged and then ran through the doorway, screaming for her friend. 

"How old are they?" Heero asked, very curious. 

"I've forgotten, they're not like us. Nor are they human." 

Heero stared after Kenzie, wondering what exactly those two girls were. While he was contemplating their age and origins, the timer for his test sounded. Treize gently pulled the gage out of Heero's arm and checked it. 

"You should have no problems leaving your gigai." 

"Really?" Heero was surprised, especially since he and Duo had played with each other the night before. He had thought that since he had used his body in such a manner that he could be linked with the gigai more so than normal. 

"So, you're going back?" Treize threw the gage in a garbage bag and escorted Heero to the front of the store. 

"Yes, I am." Heero watched as the two girls played some sort of tag-game. A white-flash of pain in his head caused him to double over. "W-why is my head always doing this?" Heero sat down on the floor, still holding his throbbing head. He tried to look up at the girls who were now both rushing over to him. 

"Heero-kun. Hold on!" Treize's voice sounded as if it was drifting to Heero's ears through a long tunnel. Soon everything began to go black, and Heero passed out. 

-----

"Hey! Heeeeeee-chan!" Heero found himself on the wrong end of a tackle; his mouth full of hair and dirt. "Caught ya!" A happy chuckle spilled forth from the body pinning Heero's own to the ground. 

"Get off." 

"Nope." The body above wiggled. 

"Off, NOW!" Heero pushed playfully and the weight shifted off of his back. Heero smiled as he turned to face his friend, the one person who had always been there for him. 

"Heero-kun. Are you alright?" Heero mentally shook himself as he realized that he was staring into Treize's face. His heart sank as Heero realized that he had not seen the face of the one which had seemed so important to him. 

"I'm fine." 

"Thank goodness." Little Honor rocked back on her heels and stood. "We were worried because you just collapsed backwards." 

"Yeah, you sure did hit your head good. It made an icky noise." Kenzie scrunched up her nose as she imitated the sound. 

"Thanks for demonstrating that, Kenzie." Treize patted her lightly on the head. "Can you stand Heero-kun?" 

"Yes." Heero stood and teetered slightly. "I'm okay." He brushed off the hands which reached out to help him. 

"Heero-kun, if you need anything, don't hesitate to come back here." Heero nodded and left the shop. 

-----

Duo was sitting on the couch watching television when Heero arrived home. Heero was curious as to why Duo was home and not with WuFei. "What happened to WuFei?" 

"He's throwing himself off the highest building in town." Duo droned as he flipped uninterested through the channels. 

"Oh." With a somewhat blank expression, Heero sat down next to Duo, who was beginning to chuckle. 

"You believed me?" Duo's whole body shook with his humor. "He's just being melodramatic. He'll be fine tomorrow -- promise." Heero gazed at Duo, happy to have him by his side again. "You look like you want something." Duo's eyes held a mischievous glint in them which surprised Heero with how much it excited him. 

"Maybe." Heero decided to play along. 

"Hmm. Maybe this ..." Duo leaned over and began to nibble gently at Heero's earlobe. 

"No." Heero used his best serious tone, it was very difficult for him to suppress his amusement; he decided he liked playing. 

"Well, how about this ..." Duo's next target was Heero's neck. He found a small spot on his neck which was still slightly red from his nipping from the night before. Heero tried to keep a groan locked inside, but it slipped out unintentionally. "Seems like that might be it." Duo teased. 

"No." Duo braced himself against Heero's chest with his hand. He looked at Heero as if he was trying to read deep within him to find the answer to this mock quest. Duo smiled brightly after a few seconds and slipped his arms around Heero. 

"Maybe this is what you want." Duo's warm mouth gently melded with Heero's inviting lips. Heero eased the two of them down, allowing Duo to remain on top. Duo slid his hand up Heero's now loosened shirt; he ran his hand over Heero's sensitive nubs, eliciting sparks of pleasure to streak throughout his lover's body. 

Heero threaded his hand through the thick locks of Duo's hair. Their lips slid seductively together; Heero thrust his tongue into Duo's hot mouth, stroking a fire more passionate than the previous kisses. Duo's body began to rub against Heero's, the heat in their groins burned through their clothes into the other's body. "Heero," Duo panted. "I want you." 

That simple phrase was like dumping ice water on Heero. He turned his head from Duo, keeping his mouth from the other boy's. "I -- I'm sorry, Duo ... I --" As Heero was about to explain his action, the phone rang. The two looked at one another, wondering who the caller was. 

Duo pushed himself up and walked over to the phone. "Hello?" He listened carefully, a slow look of horror forming on his face as the person on the other end spoke. 

Heero walked over to Duo, beginning to worry about him as he was starting to look very pale. "Duo ..." Duo held up his hand in a motion telling Heero to be quiet for a moment. 

"Alright, I'll be there in a few moments." Duo hung up the phone and ran into the hallway. He sat down at the small step leading to the door. 

"What's wrong?" Heero was very worried, after all, he had never seen Duo look so serious before. "It's not WuFei is it?" 

"No." Duo swallowed hard, Heero could tell that he was fighting tears. "It's ... it's my Dad. He collapsed at work. He's in the hospital now." 

"I'll go with you." Heero quickly shoved his feet into his loafers and followed Duo out the door. 

-----

Duo sat by his father's hospital bed. The respirator clicked and hissed, making the only noise in the room. Heero was concerned, not only for Duo's father, but for Duo himself. He hadn't moved since they had arrived and been allowed into the room. That was at least five hours earlier. Heero hadn't dared to say anything, fearing that it would upset Duo. So there they had sat, in complete silence. Of course the silence had allowed Heero to think about some things, such as Soul Society, and his return trip. He was going to go back by himself first; then he was coming for Duo. There were questions which he needed answered and he needed to prepare everyone for the arrival of a non-academy trained shinigami. 

"Heero," Duo's voice was slightly horse and scratchy sounding; he was obviously still holding back his emotions and fears. 

"Yes?" 

"I can't go with you." Duo looked at his father as he spoke to Heero, his eyes an overly bright indigo. Duo was holding back tears. 

"I understand." Heero sighed, and gazed down at his intwined fingers. "I'll go back by myself. But I **_will_** come back here." Heero raised his head and stared into Duo's eyes, the tears which had been held at bay were beginning to fall. "I promise. I'll always return to you." 

Memory Chikan: An action which swaps a person's memory with a randomly selected new one. 

Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively. 


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Notes_: I fixed the big problem with Heero. He now acts male once again. It was a big surprise when I wrote it then proof-read it. So obviously, I couldn't post a chapter that had a wimpy Heero in it.  
I just wanted to let everyone know that if you are really really anxious about getting to read the next chapter, or see how far along I am, you can visit my livejournal. _siberianknight. I post the rough versions of the chapters there and you can get an idea usually of how far along I am on the chapter. Or you can just say hi if you want. I don't really mind. I just thought I'd let everyone know about that.  
I also enabled the anonymous user reviews. So now you don't have to sign in to say something ... sorry about that.  
--Siberianknight _

**Warnings**: Language, a touch of voyeurism, and of course sap  
Status: COMPLETE 

-----

  
Heero left the rose he had purchased for Duo at the foot of his father's hospital bed. He knew that he couldn't give Duo anything more than the rose and his promise. Heero desperately needed to find out who this person was that was haunting his every waking moment. Otherwise, his relationship with Duo was going to fail, simply because he felt as if part of his heart and soul were attached to some else. 

Heero met Trowa and Quatre that night in front of Duo's home. "Where's Duo-kun?" Quatre queried while looking around, a puzzled expression fixed upon his cherubic-like face. 

"His father's ill. He'll be staying here for a while, but I'm going back now. I'll come back for him." Heero's uniform was black once again. All of his powers had restored themselves, and he once again was a powerful shinigami. 

"Are you ready, then?" Trowa asked quietly. 

"Yes." 

-----

Soul Society felt the same as it always did whenever Heero would return. Large and lonely. Heero walked into his room and looked at the bed. It was a large double bed, very inefficient for a single person, but Heero could never bring himself to get rid of the bed. He now knew why. He and the person he loved above all others, had shared that bed. 

"Heero! I heard you had returned!" Heero turned to see his captain standing in the doorway. 

"Captain." Heero's greeting was blunt and unemotional. He hadn't wanted to see Aya first; Dr. Une was the one he wished to speak with before all others, but naturally Aya had run to his side the moment she heard he had returned. 

"I was beginning to worry about you. Trowa told me that Center 46 had sent you on a long expedition, and that there was no way to contact you. So I waited for you to come back, feeling like a complete failure as a captain because I had no idea where you were. Finally two months ago I decided to go to the Center and ask them. They told me they had never sent you on such a mission. Could you explain this to me please?" Aya's arms were crossed against her small chest; her sandaled foot was tapping against the tatami mat. She apparently was agitated with him, Heero thought. 

"I can't. I have no idea who originally created the order that I be sent to Japan to watch over a high-spirit level high schooler." 

"Huh?" Aya's face contorted in a confused expression. "What high schooler?" 

"Oh. That was where I was. In Japan watching a kid. Didn't Trowa tell you that?" 

"No. So that's what you were doing." Aya was looking at Heero with worry heavy in her brown eyes. "I'm concerned Heero." 

"About what? It's not like there's been much Hollow activity, and I'm sure the others were able to take care of any Plusses that were found." Heero was becoming aggravated with his captain; all he wanted to do was go and see Dr. Une, then get some rest. 

"Are you feeling well?" Aya reached out to place her wrist on Heero's forehead, who backed away. 

"I'm fine, Aya." 

"Hmm ... It's just -- that, well you weren't feeling well before you left." 

Not feeling well? Heero had not been feeling anything, he had turned into a machine who's sole purpose was to fulfill his missions. Now he was actually feeling things, and Aya was becoming very close to making Heero throw her out of his room. "I'm fine." Somehow, Heero had managed to keep a steady calm voice when he answered her. 

Aya looked a little disappointed with his answer. "Well, I was just worried is all. I'm only trying to help you." 

"Thank you." Heero tried to smile, but he knew that Aya could tell it had been forced. Aya left, a fretful look still upon her small face. Heero fell backwards onto the bed, he shut his eyes and decided that he would see Dr. Une later. His thoughts drifted to Duo and wondered how Duo's father was faring. Soon sleep found him, and for a change, Heero had no dreams of the past. 

-----

Dr. Une's office was located several blocks away from where Heero lived. "I didn't expect to see you here." Dr. Une smiled and gestured to a chair, so Heero could sit. 

"I have some things that I need to ask you. I need your complete cooperation in answering them." Heero hoped that his serious nature indicated the importance of Une's answers. She nodded, obviously she was frightened by Heero. "Good. First, I want to know ... did someone erase my memories." 

"What?" Dr. Une jumped from her chair and slammed her palms down onto her desk. "How -- how could you ... It's impossible. No one knows that it ... that it works." 

"I know. Because I think someone used it on me." 

Une sat, and composed herself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ... exploded. You see, it _was_ top secret. Only myself and Center 46 knows about it. You see, it only works on shinigami ... but that's not the group we were aiming for. We wanted to use it on mortals, and we wanted it to be safe for them. That way if a rookie messed up ..." 

"There would be an easy believable fix." 

"Exactly." Une sighed and rubbed her temples. "However, it became apparent that it was somewhat harmful to humans. So we canned the project. -- Although, I did hear a rumor that one of the scientists was playing around with it. Just trying to see if they could fix it, so it would be useable." Une pulled out a file from her desk and handed it to Heero. "It's all in there. Every step of the project. As you can see it was even used on a few shinigami, but it never worked well on them. They would forget and then years later ... it would all come back to them. In fact, if you would like, you could talk to them." 

Heero thumbed through the large file. "Why are you being so helpful? I would think that this could possibly cause you to lose your job ... telling me information that is top secret." 

"Because ... I saw you through your pain." 

"Huh?" Heero gazed up at Une. "My -- pain?" 

Une looked down at her desk then back at Heero, a sad expression on her face. "I didn't blame you, Heero. It wasn't your fault. But you never forgave yourself." 

"Huh?" Heero was unsure what he should ask. He hadn't remembered anything like this, there were no memories of something being '_his fault_'. "What are you talking about? What wasn't my fault?" 

"Well ..." The door opened slightly and Une's secretary's head popped in through the crack. 

"Dr. Une, Marquis wishes to see you. It's very important." 

"Thank you." Une stood and walked to the door. "I'm sorry, Heero. You'll have to come back." Heero sat and fumed for a few moments after the good doctor had left. He needed some answers, he now had more questions. 

"Maybe I should speak with Trowa." With his new plan, Heero stood and set off to find Trowa, who was most likely with Quatre. 

-----

"Trowa!" Heero meandered through the woods, trying to find Trowa. He knew he was there somewhere, after all it had been Quatre's sister who had told him so, and she had no reason to lie to Heero. After walking for a while, Heero heard hushed voices coming from behind a small row of brush. 

He peered over the underbrush; he quickly averted his eyes as he realized that the hushed voices had been moans ... not words. His face felt as if it was on fire, Heero knew he was blushing. He decided to just wait until they had finished. So he stood, leaning against a tree, but soon the noises began to escalate in volume. Heero's curiosity was trying to get the best of him. He wanted to peek, but he knew that was rude. He most definitely wouldn't want someone peering on him and Duo in a private moment. Would he? Heero sighed, he probably would care much. He walked quietly over to the brush and peeked over after the sounds of lovemaking had ceased. Trowa and Quatre were snuggled together, completely devoid of any clothing. They were speaking quietly to each other, the rush of passion still evident in their eyes. Duo's face flashed before Heero's mind; he missed him. 

Heero shifted his weight and a twig snapped beneath his foot. He began to flee, but Trowa's voice stopped him. "Heero? What are you doing out here?" 

Heero turned around, caught. "I came to speak with you." 

Trowa emerged from the bushes, still tugging on his kimono. "About what? Is it Duo? I checked on him earlier. He's fine and so his is dad." 

"That's good, but it's not about that. I want to know. I want know everything ... I'm tired of only having flashes." 

"Heero-kun," Quatre moved to stand beside Trowa. "Are you certain about this? You went through much pain and suffering." 

"Quatre's right, Heero. We were all so worried about you. You just shut down, but what was odd, was the fact that after months of suffering alone, you suddenly decided to work again." 

Heero looked at his two friends; he didn't care how bad whatever it was that everyone was hiding from him, he wanted to know. "I want to know. I think the reason that happened was that my memory was erased. I don't remember anything." 

Trowa glanced around the woods to see if there was anyone nearby. "This place has ears. Let's plan to meet elsewhere." 

"Our secret place?" Quatre suggested. 

"That's perfect. Tomorrow at dawn. We'll all meet there, and Heero, tell _no one_ of this." 

Heero was puzzled by this comment, but he agreed and then left for his home. Tomorrow, he would learn everything ... he hoped. 

-----

Trowa was sitting on the large rock which over looked the section of Rukongai in which they had grown up. Heero walked up and gazed across the expanse of the slum. "Amazing that we survived." Trowa mused quietly. 

"I don't remember it." Heero realized quietly. Everything up to that point, had been only shadows of memories. He knew where he had come from, but he remembered nothing about the events of his life. It was obvious that someone had tinkered with his mind. 

"Someone obviously didn't want you remembering him." 

"Huh?" Heero sat on the rock next to Trowa and Quatre. Despite the fact that he felt prepared for this, his heart still raced and he was slightly terrified by what Trowa was going to tell him. 

"Get comfortable, this is going to take a while." Trowa began in the beginning when the three of them had first met in Rukongai. 

-----

"Thief!" An old haggard man ran after a chocolate haired boy, who had stolen an onigiri from the his cart. 

"Oh, pipe down old man, no one gives a fuck. Things get stolen every day here ... get used to it." Another boy shoved the man against a wall, which allowed the younger boy to escape. His braid swayed as he himself turned and ran after the boy. Duo was a lanky thirteen year old, who had been living in this particular area of Rukongai for about ten years. Like most, he couldn't remember how he died, or who his parents and family were. Duo had taken his name when his best friend, Solo, had passed on when he was but six. 

Solo had been amazed that a three year old had managed to survive the hardships of life in the Rukongai streets. He had been everything to Duo, and when Solo died, Duo felt as if he had as well. Always making the best out of a situation, however, was Duo's specialty, and having spiritual power while living in the slums was a big help. The only drawback was that he needed food, and that other boy had practically wiped out the old man's cart of onigiri. Duo was now determined to get some for himself. 

He finally caught up with the little punk a good ten blocks from where the cart and the old man had been. "There you are." Duo panted; he needed food, he had already gone without for a day and a half. His stomach was empty and he was nearly out of spiritual power. 

The boy gazed up at Duo, deep blue eyes narrowing in an intense glare. 

"I don't want you to give them back. I just want one." Duo held out his hand, but the other boy turned to protect his spoils from Duo. His glare intensified. Duo chuckled impatiently, he was becoming a little annoyed with this boy. He forced a smile and sat down. "Please?" He gritted out through his clinched teeth. The boy stood and ran down the alleyway. Duo hung his head in misery. "Fuck." He pulled himself to his feet and ran after the boy. 

Duo chased him for blocks before the boy lost him. "Why me?" He was completely exhausted, and he knew that if he went any further that he would die from lack of spiritual power. He, however, was in luck. The boy peered around the corner at the end of the alley. Duo's back was to him, and he looked as if he was about to collapse. Glancing down at his onigiri, the boy sighed. 

"If you want one, I'll give you one." Duo turned around to see the boy standing before him, his hand outstretched with one of the onigiri perched upon his open hand. 

Duo stared at the food as if it were a mirage. "You're really giving this to me?" He was drooling, but at the moment he didn't really care if he appeared to be a wild animal or not ... he was hungry. 

The boy grunted with impatience. "If you don't want it, I'll just give it to Trowa too." His voice was nearly monotone, Duo noted. In fact, the boy was scary. 

"I want it." Duo took the food and shoved it unceremoniously into his gaping mouth. He chewed a few times, and then his stomach turned. He had bit into an ume boshi. Gagging, Duo spit out the onigiri onto the ground. "I hate ume boshi!" He began whining, the boy thought he sounded as if he were dying from eating the pickled plumb. 

"Sorry." The boy smirked. Duo couldn't believe that the boy _actually_ had the nerve to smirk over his discomfort. He had a very delicate palate when it came to things like that, and he couldn't help that pickled items made him gag. 

"You're a mean little bastard, aren't you. You knew that was in there ... I know you did!" Duo's face was an inch from the boy's, yet the boy never flinched, no matter how much Duo yelled. "Don't just stand there with a blank expression on your face, goddammit! Say something!" Duo grabbed the boy's shirt and lifted him slightly off the ground. The boy's answer was a glare. He very calmly lifted his hand up and wrapped his fingers around Duo's wrist, then applied pressure. Duo yanked his hand away and rubbed the red spot which was now forming. "What are you?" 

"I'm just a boy. And you seem to be feeling better, so I'm leaving now." The boy turned and began to walk away, but was stopped by Duo's voice. 

"What's your name?" 

"I don't have one. Trowa calls me Boy." The boy's eyes held a sadness deep within their depths that mirrored Duo's own. This boy was as lonely as he was. 

"Mind if I tag along?" 

"Do what you like." On the walk to the house, Duo was the only one who spoke. In fact, Duo rambled the entire time. The place which the boy called home was a rickety wooden structure crammed between two other buildings which looked as if they were on the brink of collapse. "I'm home." The boy announced as he opened the door. 

Duo stepped inside, and looked around. The house was only one room; there was an ancient table and chairs set in the middle of the small space, with a stove to the left and bed rolls to the right. "Cheery." Duo quipped as he sat at the table. 

"It's all we can do. Most kids our age end up dead over shelter. You should know that, Duo Maxwell." Duo looked uneasily at the other man who was sitting at the table, gray-green eyes peered out at him from behind auburn bangs. 

"How do you know my name?" 

"I know all the kids names around here who have spiritual power. That's how I found him." Trowa pointed to the boy who was sitting on the bed roll, eating his onigiri and watching Duo intently. He was still glaring. 

"Does he always glare?" 

"Yes. It's a habit of his, but it protects him ... along with his strength." While Trowa ate his onigiri, he studied Duo. "How old are you?" 

"I'm thirteen. You?" 

"I'm fifteen and he's twelve. Look, why don't you stay with us?" 

Duo was genuinely surprised by Trowa's offer, but he wasn't so sure that the boy was as happy about the suggestion. "Stay here?" 

"Yes. We could use some more help here, as far as getting food goes and training to get into the Shinigami Academy." 

"If it's okay with grumpy-ass over there, then ... yeah." 

Trowa turned to the boy. "Boy, is it alright with you if Duo stays?" 

"Hmf." The boy stood and walked outside, but before he left, he glared one last time at Duo. 

-----

The two young boys grew close in the following years. Duo taught him how to play and be a kid, while the boy taught Duo how to fight properly and to concentrate his spiritual energy. The boy also had one other passion. It was art. He was an exceptional artist, and discovered that Duo was as well. This commonality joined the two together, and opened up the communication pathway to the boy for Duo. 

One warm summer day, Duo and the boy were sitting at the dock on the river which ran past their section of Rukongai. They were sixteen and fifteen respectively. "Say, ya know something?" 

"Hm?" The boy looked at Duo, who had a far-off expression about his face. 

"I was just thinking the other day, that I hadn't really had any friends since Solo died. That was until you and Trowa took me in." 

"Ah." The boy looked back out at the still water. The sun bounced playfully across the surface, only being broken by the occasional fish popping up to feed. 

"Listen, I was thinking about your name -- _Boy_ -- it doesn't fit. So I was thinking --" A loud moan caught Duo's attention; it was coming from below the dock. "Did you hear that?" 

"Yeah." The two boys were both curious, especially since the moans were becoming more and more like groans by the second. They walked down to beneath the pier and hid behind one of the support columns. A young man and woman were intwined upon a blanket, lost in the heat of passion. The two boys watched, the scene affecting them physically. As the couple became more amorous, the boy began to feel uncomfortable watching. "Duo, we shouldn't be watching." 

"Shhh ..." Duo's face was flushed and his eyes looked darker than normal. A small squeak escaped from Duo's closed mouth. The boy looked at him puzzled, and then he noticed a small wet stain on Duo's pants. He rolled his eyes. 

"Come on Duo." The boy grabbed Duo's arm and dragged him away. 

After they were a safe distance from the couple, Duo regained his senses. "Geeze, it was just getting good, too." Duo plopped down into a sitting position on the ground, his arms crossed against his chest and a small pouty frown plastered on his face. 

"It was rude." 

"Aw, come on!" Duo looked the other boy up and down. "Are you going to say it didn't affect you any? Are you really male?" 

"I have better control over myself. That's all." He joined Duo on the ground. "And ... yes ... it did affect me." 

Duo threw his arms wide and gazed into the sky. "I guess I was wrong. You _are_ human." 

"Hmm." Duo sighed. He never got much out of his friend sometimes. There were moments when he couldn't get the boy to be quiet, and then others when the only sounds out of him were grunts. 

"I have a name for you." The boy turned a surprised look toward Duo. "Yeah, it's from everything you've done for me. You kinda rescued me in your own twisted way." Duo gazed over at the boy, at that moment, he had never looked more beautiful to Duo. 

Duo had fallen in love with the boy next to him only a few weeks after moving in with him and Trowa. The boy had frustrated him most of the time, but underneath the aggravation was a deep respect and attraction which Duo couldn't deny. He had decided then that he would be the one to name the boy, but the name had to be appropriate and special. 

Duo couldn't stop staring at the boy's bottom lip. It was so full and begged to be nibbled on. Duo swallowed before giving his love a name. "Duo?" The boy looked at Duo, who had a wild look in his eyes. It was almost as if he wanted to eat him. 

"What?" Duo asked a little breathless. "Oh ... right, your name. Since you saved me, I decided that your name should be Heero." 

"Okay." Heero nodded and accepted the name with ease, which made Duo a little ruffled. 

"That's it. I name you and all you say is, 'okay'?" 

"What else do you want me to say?" 

Duo groaned in frustration. "Maybe you could've done this ..." Duo pressed his lips firmly against Heero's. Heero's eyes widened with surprise, then slowly slid shut as Duo began to gently slide his tender lips against Heero's. "Heero ..." Duo whispered against Heero's mouth. 

"Hm?" Heero was captivated by Duo's indigo eyes, which were glowing with love. 

"Are you mad at me?" 

"No." 

Duo smirked. "Promise me you won't do this with anyone else." Heero promised by kissing Duo again. The kiss was still as innocent as the first, but there was more feeling behind the pressure which each boy applied. Duo caught Heero's bottom lip between his teeth and gently nipped. Their mouths slid against each other seductively as the boys wrapped their arms around one another and pressed their bodies closer. 

"Duo," Heero whispered this time. 

"Hnh?" Duo was becoming seduced by the intoxication which Heero's mouth was filling his body with. 

"Then you have to be my only." 

"Your only?" Duo grinned and squeezed Heero tightly. "I've always been your only." The two boys laid down on the grassy bank under a weeping willow and held each other until sunset. "Say, Heero," 

"Hm?" 

"Let's make this our special place. A place just for us." 

Heero grinned. "I like that." Duo smiled and kissed Heero's cheek then settled his head against Heero's shoulder. 

Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively. 


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Notes_: Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. I had a busy weekend and didn't get any chance to polish it. Now, just to warn you ... there are a few things in here which will _not_ get explained in this story. I'm going to write a side story (gaiden) which goes along with this, and it will be Trowa and Quatre's story. There are only a few small things in here which aren't explained ... and truthfully what I just said should explain it. 

Warnings: Lemony-Lime Scene, Language, and yet more sap.   
Status: COMPLETE 

Duo was having a hard time keeping his eyes off Heero. They were practicing maintaining a steady level of spiritual power, and for some reason, Duo's hormones had decided to take over his brain functions for the day. "Duo!" Trowa's voice made the young boy jump. They had to have been practicing for at least five hours straight now, and Duo was tired, hungry, and very horny. 

"What? I'm doing like you asked. What more do you want?" Duo huffed and glared at Trowa, who very calmly walked over to him. 

"I would like you to concentrate on something other than Heero's ass." 

Duo became defensive; was he that transparent? If he was that obvious about his amorous feelings at the moment, why had Heero not noticed. Duo grunted, completely frustrated by the training and by Heero's complete and utter obliviousness. "I'm hungry." 

"We'll eat in a moment. Right now, prove to me that you can make and hold a small focused energy ball." Duo glared once more, but promptly formed the same small glowing blue ball in his palms. 

Heero moved to stand near Duo and watched intently. He knew that Duo could do this simple exercise, but there had been something off with his love all day. Heero had no idea what the problem could possibly be, so he had remained silent and tried not to aggravate much. Duo had been quite testy and Heero seemed to be the receiver of much of the anger. 

Duo forced all his emotions into that small ball. He had been becoming increasingly frustrated as of late. Heero of course was oblivious, although, Duo knew that Heero wanted more from him, but the opportunity was never there. Trowa was always with them, damn him. Duo wished that he and Heero could move away, but they had to wait until they were accepted into the Shinigami Academy first. 

"Very good Duo!" Trowa congratulated the angry braided boy after the set amount of time was over. 

"Can we eat now?" Duo's answer was a mischievous sounding laugh from Trowa. 

"Not yet." 

"Huh! What the fuck do you mean, 'not yet!'" With an agitated groan, Duo turned and began walking in the direction of their new home. It wasn't much more than the last place they had stayed at, but it was bigger and now they had a separate bedroom from the kitchen. "I'm eating no matter what you say." 

"Du--" Heero began, but Trowa stopped him with his hand. 

"Let him go. If he wants to be a quitter, fine. It's his choice." Trowa said this loudly, he was trying to prick Duo's anger hoping that Duo would come back and finish. However, Trowa's trick didn't work. As Duo continued to walk away, he raised his fist and displayed his middle finger to Trowa. "I tried." Trowa shrugged. 

Heero grunted and cast one concerned look in Duo's direction before he began the last bit of training. Trowa handed him a sword. "Where did you get this?" There was writing on the blade, it read, '_Property of Shinigami Academy_.' 

Trowa laughed uneasily. "Don't worry ... they'll never know it was gone." He pulled out his own and pointed it at Heero. "Come at me." 

Heero concentrated on Trowa, whose stance was infallible. Heero knew there was a very slim chance that in this first duel he would be the winner, but he was determined to give it his best. He charged at Trowa, who easily disarmed Heero. 

"You're holding it too loosely. Try again." Again, Heero ran at Trowa, sword grasped tightly in his hands. This time when he was disarmed, his hands got bruised. "Too tight." 

Heero glared at Trowa. He picked up his sword and yet again came at Trowa. The two swords clinked loudly together and Heero managed to not lose his weapon. He grinned and began to gain confidence. To Trowa's surprise, Heero was mimicking his own moves. After a few minutes of parrying, Trowa thought that he had found a weak spot in Heero's tactics, but when he tried to exploit it, he failed. Heero stood atop Trowa, sword pointed at his throat. "I win." Heero smirked, happy to have won against those slim odds. 

"Impressive. But you only mimicked my moves. That won't always work. You need to learn and create your own moves to counter different foes." Trowa stood and handed another sword to Heero. "Take this to Duo. There's somewhere I have to go." With a small grunt, Heero took the sword and began to walk in the direction of the house. He and Duo were going to be alone for the first time in four years. 

-----

Duo was sitting at the table eating when Heero walked into the house. "Trowa wanted me to give this to you." Duo took the sword and examined it. A big grin formed on his round face as he lifted it into the air and gave it a few test swings. 

"Why didn't he come back with you?" Duo sat back down at the table and Heero pulled up a chair beside him. 

"He said he had somewhere to go. So he just gave it to me." 

"Oh. So ..." Duo realized they were alone. "We're alone!" Heero's eyes widened at the excitement and pitch of Duo's voice. Although he was seventeen and normally had a rich mid-baritone voice, he had just sounded as if he was thirteen again. 

"Yes, Duo, we're alone." Duo leered at Heero as reality sunk into his heart and other places of his body. He grabbed Heero's hand and dragged him into their bedroom. "Duo, I think we should be studying ... not sleeping." 

"Who said anything about sleeping." Duo pressed his open mouth against Heero's and roughly pressured his partner's mouth open. Duo's hot tongue plunged deep into Heero's mouth, causing a wonderful warmth to flow through both their bodies. "Heero ..." Duo panted heavily against Heero's moist lips. "If I don't have you -- now -- I'm going to go insane. I can't wait any longer." 

"Huh?" Heero's wits were scrambled from the kiss, and the heat of Duo's groin against his own. 

Duo pulled away slightly and looked Heero in the eyes. "Heero ... don't tell me you don't understand." 

Heero mentally shook himself, trying to focus on what Duo was asking. "I u--understand. It's just I think that we should be practicing." 

"What! Heero ..." Duo's head dropped down onto Heero's shoulder. "Let's lie down." The two boys laid down on the bedrolls. "Are you not ready?" 

"I--I actually am not completely sure. I never really thought about it. Well ... I _have_ thought about it, but not with the full intent of doing it at that moment." 

Duo rolled onto his back and draped his arm across his eyes. "I'll wait until you say you're ready ... okay?" 

Heero looked at Duo. The man was beautiful, and very irresistible, why was he hesitating? Heero had never felt unsure a day in his life, but for some reason, this man next to him made him feel turned upside down and inside out. He turned on his side and began to tenderly stroke the thick chestnut locks of Duo's hair. Heero leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on Duo's ear. "I love you." His voice was hushed and somewhat husky. 

Duo moved his arm enough so that he could look at Heero's eyes. He could see the slight doubt which Heero was feeling in those dark blue eyes. Duo placed his hand on Heero's cheek. "It'll be okay. If you want me to go first I can, or if you want to be the pilot ... I don't really mind. It's just -- I can't wait any longer. If I have to I'll go mad." 

Heero thought about Duo's suggestion. He was willing to let Heero lead. "I want to have sex with you ... I'm just not really sure about everything we're supposed to do." A small blush formed quietly on Heero's cheekbones. Duo tried not to let the snicker he felt rising from his gut slip out through his mouth. 

Duo sat up so he could look directly into Heero's face. "What is it that you don't understand? Is it sex in general ... or sex between men?" 

"Well, I know about sex. But -- I knew that two people of the same sex could ... I just never bothered finding out exactly how." Heero looked away from Duo, trying to hide his embarrassment. It wasn't the subject that was bothering him, it was the fact that he had no knowledge in this particular area of life. Luckily, Duo would be the only person to ever see this weakness. 

Duo chuckled at Heero's awkwardness. "It's okay. Here's what we'll do, I'll start -- if you at any time want to take over ... just let me know." Heero nodded. Their lips met in a tender kiss which soon turned wild and hungry. Duo easily removed Heero's shirt revealing a hard chiseled chest. His eyes ate every inch of the dark skin up with wild abandon. "You're beautiful, Heero ... you drive me crazy." Duo's breath was rough and uneven as his mouth began to explore that sculpted torso. A moan of pleasure and desire escaped Heero's lips, this startled him. His body tensed up and he suddenly was unsure of what to do. Duo groaned impatiently. "Heero ... relax. It'll feel better." 

"I can't. It's -- it scares me." 

Duo's head slumped down in exasperation. "Okay then ... you go." 

"Huh? But Duo ..." 

"Listen, you're anal, a control freak, and more uptight than I am. It's natural you want to be in charge. I don't really mind. Just remember though ... I don't always want to be bottom." Duo grinned and stripped off his clothes. 

"Duo, I still don't really know what to do." Duo leaned up against Heero and ran his hand down the length of his back, into his pants. He gave Heero's tight rump a healthy squeeze before showing him where the goal Heero would be searching for was. Heero gasped as Duo's finger teased him. 

"You understand now?" 

Heero swallowed hard and looked into Duo's deep indigo eyes. "Yes, I do. But isn't it kind of small?" 

Duo laughed hard, his whole body shaking with humor. He handed Heero a small tube. "That's what this is for." Heero read the label, it was lubrication. His mind pieced together everything which Duo had told him, and he now felt very ready to make love to Duo. Heero gazed at Duo, his eyes ran slowly over Duo's lean body. 

Heero cupped the side of Duo's face in his hand and ran his thumb across wet lips. "You drive me crazy too. I don't know if I should kiss you or slug you most of the time. But one thing I do know, is that I love you more than I can express with words." 

Duo gazed up into the face which was hovering inches from his own. Tears stung his eyes as he lifted his head to meet his lover's open mouth. Their lips and tongues melded together in a languid rhythm. Duo had never realized how lonely he had felt until he had met Heero. Now he was going to finally be able to show Heero just how much he meant to him. Duo ran his hand down to Heero's pants and untied the belt, which had already been loosened when Duo had removed his shirt. The pants fell easily from Heero's lean hips. Lean fingers slowly caressed and explored the newly exposed areas. Heero groaned hungrily against Duo's mouth. His own hand eagerly began to stroke and knead against his lover's most private parts. 

Duo's legs moved restlessly as Heero stroked a wildfire within his groin. He wrapped his hand around Heero's wrist and pulled away from his hot mouth. "I want to try and come together." Heero couldn't find his voice, he nodded in agreement. Duo spread his legs and guided Heero's hand to the promise spot. One finger, then two, then three gently massaged and spread open his lover's body, until Duo was ready. 

Heero lifted one of Duo's legs and slowly and carefully made their bodies one. Duo guided his body to release as Heero thrust gently at first, but as he lost all sense of the world around him, became more insistent. The two sweat laden bodies rocked together, love spreading throughout them. Then, with a white flash of light before his eyes, Heero climaxed and released. Duo's groan of pleasure came shortly after. 

Heero lay against Duo's chest, as Duo stroked his lover's hair. The boys were still recovering from their discovery of passion, when they heard the door open. "Shit." Duo swore as he squirmed out from underneath Heero's heavy body. "Put your clothes on!" Heero caught his clothes when Duo tossed them. They dressed quickly and walked into the main room of the house. 

A young woman with light brown hair was standing in the doorway, a look of either pity or that of disgust was painted on her narrow face. Bright blue eyes turned to look at the two boys, who were both disheveled in appearance. "Are you Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell?" 

"Yes." The boys answered in tandem. 

"Excellent. My name is Relena Peacecraft. I've come to give you an invitation." Relena handed them each a piece of paper. The invitation was to attend a special festival where ten winners were to be granted admission into the academy. "Applications have become too great in number to accept all students. So we've come up with a clever solution. Well ... I did." She grinned in her own praise. "I hope the two of you can attend. And I wish you luck." Relena turned to leave, but before she did, she turned to the boys with one last piece of advice. "Oh ... and please make sure you're dressed better next time." With that she left. 

"Ow." Duo grunted as he sat on the hard dining chair. 

"Are you okay?" Heero rushed to his side with concern glowing in his eyes. 

"I'm fine." Duo smiled to reassure his love and then looked at the invitation. "It says it's next month. I guess we should start training." 

Heero smiled. "See." 

"Oh ... so now you're saying you would've rather trained than --" 

Heero cut off Duo. "No. That was joke." Duo's mouth hung open. He couldn't believe it! Heero had actually told a joke. Laughter soon spilt forth from both boys. 

"Just for that ... I want top next time." Duo grinned and ran into the bedroom. 

Heero's eyebrow raised at the proposition. "Really? And just how do you figure that?" 

Duo shrugged lazily. He loved joking with Heero, especially since he was always so deadpan about teasing. "Because, my ass hurts now, and I think yours should too." Heero's bottom lip promptly stuck out, Duo had hurt his feelings with that last remark. "Heero ..." Duo decided he needed to stop picking. "Sorry. It felt good. It did. Sorry, don't be upset." 

A smirk slowly spread across Heero's chiseled face. "Gotcha." 

"Hey! -- I -- I knew you were kidding." Duo folded his arms against his chest in a defensive manner. 

"You did not." 

"Did to!" 

"I'm not arguing that way with you. We're not children anymore." Heero stripped his shirt and pants off his body. Duo looked at his lover with admiration in his eyes. The man was built perfectly. There were no flaws anywhere. As for his own body, well it wasn't horrible, but he did have a little chest hair and freckles here and there. "Are you going to take off your clothes or am I going to have to do it for you?" Duo grunted annoyed with Heero for interrupting his ogling. 

Duo slowly pulled his shirt off over his head and then took an excruciatingly long time to pull off his pants. Heero felt as if he were going to have to rip off Duo's clothes if the man didn't hurry. Heero moved closely to Duo and wrapped his arms around him. The two stood together holding each other and nipping gently on at each other's necks. "My sexy man." Duo squeezed Heero tightly, then lowered himself down onto his knees. He teased Heero before tenderly wrapping his mouth around him. Tongue and light teeth brushes drove Heero mad. He let out a long groan and threaded his fingers through Duo's hair. 

Duo's lean fingers sought out what would soon be his shelter and carefully stretched Heero's body. He guided his lover down onto the bed roll. Heero grinned. He spread his legs and then grabbed onto Duo to lead him home. 

The two lay on the bed rolls, exhausted and thoroughly satisfied. Heero was amazed that he had been wanting that closeness with Duo for sometime, he just hadn't realized that fact. "I love you, Duo ... so much it scares me." 

Duo was surprised to hear this confession from Heero, who was normally so closed mouthed about everything. "It scares me too. But that's part of being in love. It's stressful and wonderful all at the same time." Duo gently kissed Heero's forehead. He curled up against Heero and closed his eyes. 

"Duo," Heero began to absently stroke Duo's long braid. "Will you always be with me?" 

"Always, Hee-chan ... always. And if I lose you somehow, I'll always find you ... no matter what." Heero smiled at the childish nickname he had been given by Duo shortly after he had named Heero. It was only theirs to know. Heero pulled the cover over the two of them and closed his eyes as well. 

-----

Duo and Heero were eating when Trowa returned home later that evening. "Hello, boys. Any problems today?" 

The two boys shook their heads at the same time and watched as Trowa grabbed a sandwich for himself. "Where'd ya go?" Duo asked, way too curious about the fact that Trowa seemed to have a nice pleasant flowery smell about him. 

"Ever heard the old phrase ... curiosity killed the cat?" 

"I'm not a cat ... and I'm still alive aren't I?" Duo smirked, a gleam in his bright indigo eyes. 

"For the time being." Trowa returned the smirk. "I'm tired, I think I'll go to bed early." 

"'Night." 

After a few moments Trowa came back to the kitchen, a small tube in his hand. "Boys ... I -- I think we need to have a talk." 

"Trowa, we already know about sex -- if that's where this is going." 

"No. Please clean up after yourselves ... and wash the sheets please." Trowa turned and walked back to the bedroom. 

"Oops." Duo and Heero began to laugh quietly. "I guess we did kind of forget to do that ... didn't we." 

Heero nodded. He had been so happy since the day Duo had named him. He owed everything to this young, bright, handsome, braided boy. Heero wasn't sure if Duo was as attached to him as Heero was to Duo, but he knew one thing was certain ... no one would ever take Duo away from him. 

-----

"Duo, come at me like you mean it." Heero was becoming frustrated with Duo's lack of seriousness with their training. 

"I can't Heero. I'm afraid I'll hurt you." Duo rolled his eyes. He could attack Trowa with no problems, but Heero was a different story. He couldn't just blindly swing to kill with his sword as far as Heero was concerned. 

"Duo, the point of training is to _actually_ fight, so that when you are in a battle ... you won't freeze up." Heero sighed, weary to his bones. He was so worried that he would get into the academy, but Duo wouldn't. "Let's try again." Duo and Heero began to parry and thrust. Duo wasn't completely holding back this time, but he still wouldn't fight with everything he had locked with himself. However, Heero found himself on the losing end in this battle. A bright smile spread across Duo's face ever so slowly. 

"I win." 

Heero nodded. "Yes ... you did. Very good." 

Duo laughed a little embarrassed by the praise. "Thanks." The two of them walked over to a blanket which was spread out under their willow tree. "So, do you think that we can get into the academy?" 

Heero handed Duo an apple. "If everyone else is at our level or less, I think we stand a good chance. The invitation said that along with five recruits, there were to be ten new students chosen from this contest." 

"Only ten. Well, maybe that's a lot. I mean, we don't know how many people were given invites." Duo leaned back and bit into his apple. The wind rustled through the leaves and cooled his brow. The two boys had been practicing since after eating breakfast early that morning. 

"Duo ..." Heero felt a little awkward opening up to Duo still, but it was getting easier. Duo had told him that if they were going to have a working relationship, he would have to learn how to open up to him and communicate. "I don't want to be separated from you. I want you to get serious about this training so I'll know that you'll be with me." 

Duo was slightly taken aback by the emotion which he heard in Heero's deep voice. He smiled with reassurance. "You worry too much. It'll be fine. I'll make it ... promise!" Heero grunted in return. He didn't quite believe the goof-off, but he knew that once Duo promised, he kept it ... no matter what. 

-----

Duo panted and wiped his brow with his forearm. He had been practicing without Heero's knowledge every night. At least he thought that Heero didn't know. Duo concentrated on the wooden planks which dangled from the branches of a tree. He held his sword at ready and charged. Over and over, he had charged those planks until he could successfully clear them without being touched. A big grin spread across his face as he, for the tenth time that night, fought off all of his wooden foes. It was now time for him to practice concentrating his spiritual energy. 

As always, Duo began with a small ball of energy in his palms. This task was beginning to feel completely natural, which was the way it should according to Trowa. Then Duo turned and faced the tree. He took a deep breath and then ran as fast as he could toward the tree. Hands outstretched, he slammed into the tree and broke the thick trunk in half. Duo stared at what he had just accomplished. 

"I didn't know you had that much spiritual energy in you." Trowa startled Duo when he placed his hand on his slender shoulder. 

"I didn't either. I thought that I'd bounce off of the tree." 

"I think you should go and sleep now. You'll be fine, there's no need to worry about being separated from Heero." Duo nodded and slowly walked back to the house. Trowa stayed and inspected the tree. There were burn marks around the area where Duo had touched the bark. "Wow. If he applies himself in the academy, he and Heero will be the two top students." Trowa smiled to himself. He had taught his students well. "Wonder if Quatre's awake ..." He chuckled softly and shook his head. "It's three in the morning, why would he be awake." 

Duo crawled into bed next to Heero, who promptly rolled over so that he could lay face to face with Duo. "You were practicing again, weren't you?" 

Duo let out a small noise that sounded almost like a squeak. With a chuckle, he wrapped his arms around Heero. "Maybe." Heero sighed and kissed Duo on the cheek. "I love you, Hee-chan." 

"I love you too, even if you drive me crazy." 

Duo laughed. "But you love how I drive you crazy." He snuggled closer to Heero and yawned loudly. "Goodnight, Heero." 

"Goodnight." 

-----

Duo and Heero walked into the stadium where the games were to be held. The place was huge, and there were at least one hundred other people who were milling around the fairgrounds. "Great. Looks like we've got a lot of competition." Duo frowned and began to walk a little in front of Heero and Trowa. 

Heero was watching Duo walk. The boy was acting like he was going to fail just because there were so many more people who he was going to compete against. Heero was amazed that Duo had such little confidence in himself as far as his abilities were concerned. "Trowa, why aren't you participating?" 

"Because, I've already been accepted." 

Heero's eyes widened. "Really, you were one of the few who were asked?" 

"I was." Heero opened his mouth to ask another question, but Trowa stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Look don't you think you should be warming up and signing in?" 

Heero grunted affirmatively and ran to join Duo at the sign-up booth. "Duo, remember ..." 

"Yeah, yeah ... I haven't forgotten." Duo winked at Heero. "Remember, everything's under control." Heero felt somewhat better, but he knew that he'd still be uneasy until after the winners had been announced. 

The matches had already been determined, and Duo was with one of the strongest prospects. "What a surprise that is." Duo snorted and turned to Heero. "Do they think it's funny to put the skinniest person here with that." He pointed to a large and tall man who was leaning against the wall. The man's head almost hit where the seats in the stands began and that was a good seven feet high. 

"It'll be okay, Duo." 

"Okay?" Duo's voice squeaked with excitement. "Right ... it'll be fine -- so long as he doesn't _sit_ on me!" Duo hung his head in frustration. "Why does it always have to be me? Why God ... why? That's it -- God hates me." 

Heero couldn't help but laugh at the despair in Duo's voice. "Duo, all you have to do is defeat him with your sword ... that's all. Then you'll move on to the next round, which is spiritual energy level measuring. And you've got an abundance of that ... so long as you concentrate." 

"I know ... I know." 

The announcer read Duo's name and the name of his opponent a few moments later. Duo dragged himself into the fighting ring. He looked up at the gargantuan man and smiled. He took up his stance and garnered all his energy into defeating the large man. When the ref called _fight_, Duo charged with all he had. 

The fight lasted only a few minutes. Because of Duo's size, he was able to run around the ring and confuse the much bigger man. Duo stood in the middle of the ring, a large smile plastered on his face as the announcer stated his win. He ran over to Heero and hugged him. "I won!" Duo bounced up and down happily, completely amazed that he had been able to bring down the goliath. 

"Yes you did. My turn now." Heero entered the ring and faced his opponent. She was small, and timid. Heero felt as if he hadn't been given a fair fight. "Well, that was too easy. It wasn't fun." 

"Heero, it was a good thing. This way you had no possible way to lose." Duo smiled and patted Heero on the back. Heero took a deep breath; everything was moving along the way he had hoped. There were only two more rounds, and then they would be narrowed down with interviews. 

Soon it was time for Duo and Heero to line up for the spiritual energy test. They both concentrated as hard as they could. Heero found that he was very surprised by the amount which Duo released. The two passed and it was on to the next and final round of physical tests. There twenty recruits left, and five of them would be dismissed after this round. This final test was one of speed and agility. The contestants were required to successfully run an obstacle course. Duo chuckled with confidence. "Finally something that I'm going to not have to think too much about." Heero smiled and watched as Duo began the course. Duo's time was the quickest up to that point, and he was the only one to have been able to clear it with no problems. Heero's run wasn't quite as smooth, but his time was near that of Duo's ... he had passed as well. 

The fifteen recruits were then taken to the school where they were to be interviewed individually. They were left in one of the classrooms, awaiting the teachers entry. "So, Heero, what do you think they'll ask us?" 

"I'm not sure. This was the one part that Trowa never quizzed us on." Duo could tell that Heero was equally as nervous as he was. One slip up, and they could be separated. After waiting a while, fifteen teachers dressed in shinigami uniforms entered the room. Among them was the girl, Relena Peacecraft. One by one, the teachers called out the name of a recruit and led them out of the room. 

Duo's name was called by a small dark haired girl. He walked up to her and smiled. "Duo?" 

"Yeah." 

"My name is Akimori Aya. I'm a member of the eleventh gotei. Would you please follow me." Duo nodded and cast one last look at Heero over his shoulder. 

Heero's name was called out by Relena herself. He greeted her with a nod and she led him away to the room where his interview was to be held. "Relax, Heero-kun. Everything will be alright with your friend. I actually was asked to give you an interview, but I don't think that's very necessary. I approve of you already. In fact, when we were originally gathering information on all the applicants, I was most intrigued by your application." 

"My ... application? What do you mean?" Heero didn't remember ever filling out any type of application. He then realized that Trowa must have been the one to do so. A smile lit up his face as he thought that Trowa must have high confidence in both Heero and Duo. 

"You're smiling. Did you just realize that your friend was the one who recommended both you and Duo Maxwell?" 

"Yes." 

"I promise that Aya is a good person. She's very skilled at getting people to relax and open up. All we're simply doing is seeing who has what it takes to be a true shinigami. That's all. Nothing scary." Relena smiled and pulled out a clipboard which she handed to Heero. "Here, you need to fill this out. It indicates that I have approved you. After you fill it out I'll sign it then we'll go see my brother." Heero nodded and read the acceptance form. 

"So we'll live on campus?" 

"Yes. If you would like, I'll see if you and Duo can be placed in the same dorm. I wouldn't want to separate best friends." Heero nodded and then signed the form and handed it back to Relena. The two left the small office and walked through several hallways until they reached Zechs Marquise's office. 

"His name's not the same as yours." Heero realized that was an obvious observation, but he couldn't stop the words from spilling out of his mouth. 

"I know. We were brother and sister in real life. We're both very fortunate to have actually found each other ... since that's a very rare occurrence." Relena handed the form to Heero. "Take this in to him and then he'll tell you what will happen next." 

Heero walked inside the office. Zechs was sitting with his feet up on the large oak desk and leaning back in his overstuffed leather chair. "Ah, Heero-kun. I was wondering when you'd show up. I saw your performance today, I believe you'll make an excellent shinigami." 

"Thank you, sir." Heero handed Zechs the form, who skimmed it quickly then tossed it on his desk. 

"Congratulations, Heero-kun, and welcome to the academy." 


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Notes_: I apologize for taking two weeks on this one. I had most of it written by Sunday, but not finished. Then I rewrote most of it because I didn't like the way it was going. So, here finally is chapter seven. I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed this story, and I would love to hear more from everyone. 

Warnings: Language, angst (Duo and Heero)   
Status: COMPLETE 

Duo sat nervously across from Aya,who was flipping thoughtfully through a file. Every now and then she would make a sound as if finding something either interesting or bad. Duo just knew that this was going to go badly, because, for someone who was as personable as Duo, he didn't quite know how to handle himself in a situation such as this one. 

Aya finally looked up at Duo and smiled. "So, Duo-kun, how long have you practiced with a sword?" 

"Uhm ... I -- well, for about four months." Aya frowned and glanced down at the papers in her lap. Duo could feel the sweat forming on his brow; this was it ... he and Heero were going to be separated and it was all because Duo couldn't help but tell the complete and utter truth. 

"Okay, I'm now going to ask you a few personal questions ... if you would please answer them to the best of your ability." 

"_'The best of my ability?'_ What the hell does that mean!" Duo frantically tried to calm down his racing mind. He had no idea what she meant by '_personal_' questions.' 

"All right, so, tell me did you ever steal anything?" 

Duo's mouth dropped open. He couldn't believe that this tiny snip of a woman had just asked the dumbest question possible. "Yes. I have ... of course it was because --" 

Aya smiled as she cut him off. "It's okay. Just a '_yes_' will do." Duo frowned fiercely, he had known this was going to happen; she wasn't going to listen to a word of his explanations. She was probably from one of those snotty noble families. "How long ago was it that you stole anything?" 

Duo swallowed. He could lie, but that went against every fiber within him. "Last week. It was food." 

"I don't need to know what it was." Aya began writing in a small spiral notepad. Duo's angry was nearing the breaking point. So help him, if he was separated from Heero, Duo was going to completely blame this Aya woman, and she would pay dearly for her deed. "In three words or less, please describe yourself." 

"Happy, friendly, and honest." Duo was clinching his teeth as he spoke; he noticed that Aya wrote something down about his behavior. 

Aya took a deep breath and looked Duo in the eyes. With an air of disdain, she easily destroyed every descriptory word which Duo had used. "Honest? You steal ... I for one wouldn't call that honest." 

"But --?" Duo was going to plead with her if he had to, he didn't care about his pride anymore. 

Aya stopped him short. "Please, I'm not through ... yet. You say that you're happy and friendly, but at this moment your being very aggressive and pushy. You aren't anything like what you say you are." 

"But I am! I swear! You won't let me explain anything!" 

"I'm doing what I was asked and trained to do, Duo-kun. I'm sorry if you don't agree with my methods." 

"You're right ... I don't agree with your methods!" Duo stood and glared down at Aya. "I'm a good person, goddammit! And I'm a fucking good swordsman too! I care about people, and I believe that I would make a good shinigami." 

Aya rose from her seat and looked up into the burning indigo eyes of Duo. A grin started to spread across her face. "I'm glad to hear that you feel that way." 

"Huh?" Duo was confused by Aya's swift change. A sense of dominance and aggressiveness that wasn't present before had appeared when she spoke. "I don't like wimpy shinigami. They only die when they're out in the field. You on the other hand seem to be able to take care of yourself. I approve." 

"What?" 

Aya laughed softly and gently patted Duo on the arm. "It's okay. I was only testing you. I knew you grew up in Rukongai ... so of course you had to steal to survive -- especially since you have spiritual energy." Aya signed one of the forms and then walked to the door. "Aren't you coming too? You do want to become a shinigami ... right?" 

"Uh ... yeah." Duo ran after Aya. He had passed. He had actually passed because of his rude mouth and brashness. They entered Zechs Marquise's office where Duo was greeted and approved entry into the academy. 

Duo ran to find Heero, who was sitting on a bench in the quad area of the campus. "Guess what?" Duo panted as he came to a halt before Heero. 

"You got in." Heero smiled gently and stood. He lovingly brushed Duo's hair from his eyes and kissed his cheek. "I knew you would." Duo wrapped his arms tightly around Heero and gave him a fierce hug. 

"I love you Heero. And I'm glad we'll still be together -- and out of that shit-hole." 

"I'm thankful too." 

----- 

Six Months Later 

Duo stormed into his and Heero's dorm room. "Fucking bastards." He growled as he ineffectively attempted to untie the sash holding up his grey-blue pants. Heero shoved Duo's hands away and easily untied the knot. "They think that because they're from the top districts in Rukongai that they're better than me. Who the fuck do they think they are anyway? They're still people just like us, for Christ's sake!" 

"Just ignore them." Heero gently helped Duo finish undressing and then handed him a knee length kimono. "If you do that, it'll take the fun out of picking on you." 

"You don't get picked on. I don't get it. Maybe it's because you act like them." Duo sat down on his bed and stared down at his feet. "I'm tired of being looked down upon, Heero. I just want them to acknowledge the fact that I can fight as good as they can." 

Heero sat next to Duo, and lovingly wrapped his arm around Duo's waist. "But you're better than they are. You're the second top student." 

"I know. I don't care about that. I just am tired of them treating me like garbage. And why the hell don't you get picked on?" Duo glared angrily at Heero, who tried not to laugh at the look on his lover's face. 

"I don't get picked on because I _don't_ try to talk to them. I ignore them and go about my studies." 

Duo sighed heavily. "I guess you're right. I'll do the same." 

"Duo, we've got each other. If you get lonely just come and talk to me." 

"Heero, I love you -- with all my heart and soul, but ... I want to make some other friends too. Because they're different from you, and I can talk to them about different things." 

Heero's heart sunk a little in his chest. It bothered him that he wasn't enough for Duo, but at the same time, he knew that he had no right to tell Duo he couldn't have any friends. "I see." 

"Heero, don't pout. I told you ... I love you, and you're my closest friend -- nobody can ever replace you, I promise." Duo tenderly pressed his mouth against Heero's in a kiss, which he hoped would cement the truth in the words that he had spoken. Happy to be able to calm Duo down, Heero eagerly took control over the situation and pressed Duo down on the bed. Duo surrendered to Heero's caresses and kisses, knowing that his lover would erase all the bad that had built up over the day. 

"Duo," Heero held Duo in his arms, he could tell that Duo was almost asleep, but he continued to speak. "If you're patient with these people, eventually you'll find friends. Don't dwell on the words they hurl at you. I know you realize that, but -- I want you to be happy. I don't like it when you're upset." 

Duo yawned and snuggled against Heero. "I know all that, Hee-chan. I exploded because it built up ... that's all. I'll be happy Duo again tomorrow." Heero kissed the mass of hair which had pulled loose from Duo's braid. He loved the way it felt against his skin; he loved everything about the man in his arms ... even his emotional outbursts. Tomorrow he would try to get to the bottom of the insults and put a stop to them. 

Duo sat under a tree in the quad; he was studying and didn't notice the small black-haired girl who sat down next to him. "Do you have Satou-sensei?" 

Duo looked over at the girl, a little surprised that a person was there and being civil to him. "For Demon Arts? No." 

"Oh. I was just wondering. I had him -- very hard instructor. Oh, I'm Hilde." Hilde extended her hand to shake Duo's. 

"Duo. What level are you?" 

"Oh, I just passed the third phase. Hopefully within the next few months I'll be graduating." Her smile was innocent and her eyes lit up happily as she looked at Duo. 

"So -- um -- why are you talking to me?" 

"Because you looked like an interesting person." Hilde stood and began to pace before Duo. "The truth is, I thought you looked a little lonely, and so I decided to come and say 'hello.'" She stopped and bent down to look directly into Duo's eyes, Duo pulled back slightly. He wasn't one to mind people invading his personal space, but for some reason he felt a bit uncomfortable with Hilde being that close to him. 

"Ah, I see. Well, thanks." 

"Most people say mean things about you. I've heard them. Just ignore those snobs. Once you graduate things'll change. I promise!" Hilde crossed her heart and held her first two fingers up in a promise. "There's a party that a good friend of mine is holding. Would you like to come with me?" 

"Well ... I -- uhm -- I dunno." Duo sighed and gazed at his books. If he went, he would feel badly because Heero wasn't with him, but if he didn't ... he'd probably be bored to tears. He knew that Heero was going to be late tonight because he had a meeting with his sword mastery teacher; therefor, it was perfectly logical that Duo could do whatever he wanted to do. "Okay, I'll come." 

Hilde clapped her hands together with glee. "Excellent. I'll meet you here under this tree at around seven." She waved as she turned to walk away. "See ya!" 

Duo watched Hilde leave. He realized that just maybe, he was going to make a few friends that night. 

-----

Duo left a short note for Heero, just in case he got back to the dorm before Duo. He had been sitting under the tree since five minutes before seven. It was now almost seven-thirty. "This must have been a joke. They're probably laughing their heads off." Duo rose from his seat and began to walk back to the dorm; however, the sound of a person running caused him to turn. Hilde was running up to him from across the quad. 

"Duo! Where're you going?" Hilde panted when she reached Duo. "I'm -- sosorry -- I'm -- late." 

Duo smiled, and put out his hand to steady Hilde. "Hey, catch your breath before you explain." 

Hilde took a deep breath and straightened herself. "I was helping one of my teachers and lost track of time. That's why I'm late. I'm so sorry." 

Duo was relieved to know that it hadn't been a prank. "It's cool. Are you ready to go?" 

"Yup." Hilde smiled and hooked her arm through Duo's. They arrived at Aya's small house which was located only a few blocks from campus. Duo was amazed at how many people actually fit inside the house. While he was looking at all the people, he felt a tug on his sleeve. "There's Aya. Lemme introduce you." Hilde smiled and dragged Duo across the crowded room. "Aya!" Hilde waved enthusiastically at her friend. 

"Hilde! I'm glad you could make it!" The two girls hugged and then Duo was introduced to Aya. "Oh, we met already. I was the one who interviewed him. And I hear you're doing excellent in your studies." 

"Yes, ma'am." 

Aya laughed. "You don't have to be formal here. Most of the people you see in this room are students like you. I'm not actually an instructor at the academy. I'm a prospective member of the eleventh gotei. I have to prove my strength to them in a few weeks for a formal acceptance." 

Duo nodded his head. He was very impressed that Aya had been invited to the strongest gotei. Someone began to sing and several others joined in; the singing helped Duo to relax and enjoy himself. 

Several hours after Duo and Hilde had arrived at the party, the two were sitting outside on the porch talking and drinking some sake. "Do you ever wonder what you were like when you lived as a mortal?" Hilde mused as she gazed at the stars. 

"Yes, actually I have. I often wonder too where my family might be. Are they in heaven? Or did they end up in Soul Society like myself." Duo poured some sake into his dish and sipped it slowly. 

"Yeah. Did you ever wonder if those that we loved on Earth may be here too? Like soul-mates?" Hilde's eyes were glazed over from the alcohol, but there was a light twinkling in them that made Duo become curious. 

"Soul mates? I never really thought about that." 

"Yeah, you know, one died a horrible death, but never wanted to leave the other person. So they stayed behind as a Plus. Then a shinigami performed the konsou and they ended up here. Well the other person died, lonely and longing for their loved one. They became a Plus as well, and then ... well you get where I'm going ... right?" 

"Yeah." Duo began to think that maybe he and Heero were that -- soul mates. However, that didn't necessarily mean that their story was like what Hilde was saying. "Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into that." 

"I have. I wonder if I have a soul mate." Hilde looked at Duo who was playing with an errant beetle. She watched as he allowed the beetle to crawl onto his hand and over his fingers. A blush slowly formed on her small face as she stared at his hands. "Duo, I was wondering if maybe we could study together sometime?" 

Duo glanced over at Hilde and grinned. "I'd like that." 

Heero was lying in bed and reading when Duo returned to the dorm. "It's two o'clock in the morning, Duo. Where were you?" Heero glared over the top of the book at Duo. He had been in a good mood until around midnight, he had then began to worry. Heero would have gone out to look for Duo, except that he had no idea where Duo was. So, he had waited and waited. 

"Sorry." Duo plopped down onto his side of the bed. They had pushed the two twin beds together to make a large bed. Not that they ever used the whole bed to sleep, Duo was normally snuggled so close to Heero that they only used one side. 

"Well ...?" Heero waited impatiently. 

"Oh, yeah ... I was at a party." 

Heero shut his book with an angry slam. "I know _that_. What I'm asking is what kind of party was it and who were you with." 

Duo looked up at Heero, he couldn't believe what Heero had just said to him. This was the first time ever that Heero had openly shown jealousy. "Heero, I was at a party with a new friend. That's all. I didn't do anything except for talk and drink and eat." 

Heero leaned over and sniffed Duo's breath. "You've been drinking alcohol." 

"Yes Heero, I've been drinking. Oh my God, I'm the worst partner ever. I drank alcohol!" Duo stressed every word angrily. Heero had no right to be this jealous, especially since Duo had done absolutely nothing. 

"Hrm." Heero stood and walked to the bathroom, the door slammed behind him. 

"Fine if he wants to be pissy about it, I'm just going to go to sleep." Duo stripped his clothes and tossed them in the floor. He then snuggled under the covers and quickly fell asleep. 

Heero sat on the toilet, thinking about the anger and relief which were warring within him. He knew deep in his heart that Duo would never do anything, but at the same time a deep hurt plucked at the corner of his mind. Heero was unsure as to why he felt so angry with Duo, after all, Duo had only done exactly what Heero had wanted him to do. Duo had made friends. This didn't stop the hurt and jealousy from rearing their ugly heads in Heero's mind. 

After a few moments, Heero emerged from the bathroom to find Duo sound asleep. Heero shed himself of his clothes and climbed into the bed next to Duo. He wrapped his arm around Duo and kissed his shoulder. "I love you Duo, and I'm sorry I got upset." A snort was all he received in answer to his apology. Heero smirked and snuggled against Duo. 

-----

Over the next two months, Duo made several new friends, but the closest one was Hilde. Whenever Duo wasn't with Heero, he was with her. In fact, the two spent so much time together a rumor that they were dating had began to circulate throughout the campus. Oddly enough, this rumor helped Duo's reputation and a few of the groups which had previously shunned him began to accept him. 

It was study night for Duo and Hilde, and they were in the library because it had been raining all day. Hilde was gazing out the large windows at the rain droplets running down the panes. "I wish it would stop raining. The only good thing about rain is the pretty plants it feeds." 

Duo smiled. "Hilde, we need to study. I've got a test tomorrow." 

"I know. Sorry." Hilde leaned over the table and looked at the book in front of Duo. "This is easy stuff." 

"Yeah, I know, but the teacher said that she wasn't going to question us on everything. Just random things -- and some of this is pretty hard." 

"Well, I think the easiest way to remember is to first, read aloud ... that keeps you from getting bored and ignoring what you read. Then you write down the things that you don't know that well. Then you go back and read those parts in the book -- aloud of course." 

"Interesting. I'll try that." Duo smiled brightly at his friend, who smiled back in turn. Hilde pulled a small black book out of her tote bag and opened it. "What's that?" 

"Oh, it's my journal. Aya was keeping one and told me about it. I thought it sounded like a good idea." 

"Really?" Duo was honestly intrigued. He had never actually known someone who had kept a journal or diary. "Is it daily or just random thoughts?" 

"Both, actually. In the first few pages I wrote about myself and my most memorable moments from my life, then I began writing down random thoughts, feelings, and moments that happened that day. You know ... you should keep one. That way when you're old and gray you can open it and look through it. It'll also give your children something to remember you by." Duo's chuckle held a hint of irony within its rich depths. Unless someone had changed the way things work, Duo and Heero were never going to have children. "Why do you laugh at that? I think you'd make a wonderful father." 

"Thank you, Hilde." Duo smiled and wished for a brief moment that there was a way to produce a child between two men, but that thought flitted away quietly. "I think I'll keep a journal. I've been kind of doing that already. I draw in it mostly, but sometimes I write thoughts down in it." 

"See. You should." Hilde looked at the window again, the rain had stopped. "Let's go outside!" She grabbed Duo's hand with enthusiasm and dragged him outside. The two splashed through the mud puddles as if they were small children again. Duo couldn't remember a time when he had this much fun. Always in Rukongai, things were so stressful that even the times he would play as a child, reality would always crush his euphoria. 

They were running through the puddles when Hilde slipped and began to fall. Duo reached out to catch her, and Hilde held onto Duo. He righted her, and yet she still held onto his arms. "Duo ..." Her voice was soft and unsure. Duo could hear his heart beating loudly in his ears. He was praying that she was just going to leave the feeling alone, and let go of him. "I -- I like you." Hilde quickly pressed her lips against Duo's, who was so stunned that he didn't resist at first. 

After only a second, Duo realized what was happening and pushed Hilde away. A figure behind her caught his attention. Duo looked up from Hilde's face, Heero was standing at the corner of the library with a horrified expression on his face. "Heero!" Duo called out, but he was already running away. "Shit." Duo ran to catch up with Heero, and left Hilde behind. 

Duo searched everywhere and couldn't find Heero. It was as if he had vanished. Duo sat down on a rock and held his head in his hands. "Why didn't I tell her? I should've noticed that she liked me before that. I'm so stupid." 

"Duo?" Trowa was walking up to Duo, Quatre tucked lovingly at his side. 

Duo looked up at his friend and closed his eyes tightly. "I screwed up. Heero's gone. I don't know where he went." 

"Oh. I'm sure after he calms down, he'll be back. What happened anyway?" 

"A girl kissed me in front of him." 

Quatre gasped quietly. "No wonder he ran. I'm sure he knows you wouldn't cheat on him ... right?" 

"I guess. He's been suspicious of me ever since I started hanging out with people other than him." Duo picked at the moss which was growing on the rock. He knew that Heero would come back, but not to make up ... to yell at him then leave again. 

Trowa grunted. He looked in the direction from which he and Quatre had walked. "Let me go to him. I'm removed from the situation, so maybe he'll listen to me." 

"Trowa ... I don't know where he's at." Duo commented a bit exasperated. 

"I know where he is. You forget I knew him before you did." Trowa turned to Quatre and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. "Stay with Duo, please. I'll be back soon." 

"Good luck." Quatre sat next to Duo. "How well do you know this girl?" 

"She's my friend. Apparently she has a crush on me ... and I was too blind to see it." Duo's sigh sounded as if the world had crashed down around him, which to him ... it had. 

"Duo-kun, Trowa has told me much about you and Heero, and I think that the two of you still have a chance. Just trust in Heero's feelings." 

"I'm trying. I am." Duo couldn't hold back the tears of frustration and self-loathing any longer. He allowed Quatre to see him cry. Quatre calmly wrapped his arms around Duo's quivering body and held him for as long as Duo needed. 

"Heero? I know you're in here! Come out!" Trowa ducked under the entrance to the small cave. This cave, which was near the 72nd district of south Rukongai, had been Heero's hiding place whenever he had become upset. 

"Leave me alone!" Heero's angry voice echoed through the small den. "I don't want to talk right now." 

"Heero, Duo wants to talk to you." Trowa walked up to Heero, who was sitting on the cold ground, hugging his legs to his chest. 

"I don't care." 

"Yes you do!" Trowa pulled Heero up to his feet. "Punch me if you want. You are _not_ going to mess up this relationship you have. It's the only good thing in your life!" 

"I have school. That's all I need." An angry fist met with Heero's face, as Trowa glared at the stupid man before him. 

"All you need, huh? Fine then. I'll relay that to Duo. You want to kill him ... then go ahead. But I'll tell you this -- it'd be a hell of a lot less painful for him if you were to disembowel him instead." Trowa shoved Heero against the stone wall and left. 

Heero sat back down and stared into the black space. Duo had kissed the girl. He had cheated on him. This was not something so easily forgotten or forgiven, and Heero wasn't ready to face Duo yet. Heero wasn't even certain if he ever could face Duo again. The image of his so-called friend, Hilde's mouth on Duo's was enough to have made Heero retch several times already. However, Trowa had been right, if Heero wanted to kill Duo, ignoring him would be the worst way to do so. Heero stood and decided to face Duo, and ask what had happened. 

Duo dried his eyes on his sleeve. "Feel a little better?" Quatre handed him a handkerchief so he could blow his nose. 

"No. I feel like shit, Quatre." A noise of a twig breaking caused the two boys to look up. Duo's heart sank as he gazed at the person who stood before them. 

"Hilde ... what --?" 

Hilde threw herself onto Duo and held him fiercely. "Duo, please don't be mad ..." She was crying, Duo couldn't believe that she was crying. 

"Hilde ..." Duo wasn't sure what to say to the girl, and so he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. After a few minutes, her tears began to subside. Quatre gave Duo an unspoken signal to tell Hilde about his feelings. "Um, Hilde ... look, I know you said that you like me. But the truth is, that I like you only as a friend. I'm sorry." 

Hilde rose from Duo's arms and looked him in the eyes. "Oh." She turned her head from Duo, and sniffed loudly. "It's okay. I understand. ... I just thought that I felt something when you caught me. Who was that you ran after?" 

"That was my ... roommate, Heero." Quatre didn't try to hide the shocked expression on his face. He couldn't believe that Duo wouldn't tell this girl the truth. 

"Duo ..." Quatre tried to get him to tell the truth just with the tone in his voice, but it didn't work. Duo began to ramble something about how he was supposed to have met up with Heero after their study session for dinner. Quatre sighed heavily, Trowa was going to have to beat both boys over the head to fix this problem. 

"I still want to be friends, Duo. I'm sorry again. Just forget I ever said anything." Hilde smiled and then turned to leave. "I'll see ya!" 

After she was out of range, Quatre turned angrily to Duo. "Why didn't you tell her that you and Heero are lovers!" 

"I didn't want to hurt her anymore than she already was. She'll find out eventually." 

"I think you just made things worse, if you don't tell her, then she's going to find out some other way. And it may be more painful for her and cause problems for you and Heero." 

"I know ... I know. I'll tell her -- I promise." 

Quatre sat with Duo until Trowa returned. "What did he say?" Quatre worriedly chewed on his lower lip as he awaited Trowa's answer. 

"Not much. He's too upset right now." Trowa laid a comforting hand on Duo's shoulder. "Don't worry, he'll come around soon." The concerned expression on Trowa's face disturbed Quatre. He knew that Heero wasn't going to make up with Duo so easily, and Trowa knew it as well. 

"It's okay. I'll just go back to our room and wait. He'll come back ... he has to -- his clothes are all there." Duo hopped off the rock and began to walk away from Trowa and Quatre. His shoulders slumped slightly and his steps were lethargic; anyone could tell that he was hurting inside, even if he refused to show it on his face. 

"Trowa," Quatre stood and gazed up into his lover's face. "What did Heero really say?" 

"That he doesn't care about Duo. And he doesn't need him." Quatre shut his eyes tightly against the cold words. Funny how a small kiss initiated by someone else could mess up a beautiful relationship such as what Heero and Duo had held. 

The cleansing of a Plus, it's the actions which sends the soul to Soul Society. Is only preformed by shinigami. 

There are about 80 districts in each of the four areas (North, South, East, and West) of the Rukongai. The higher the number the worse the district is. If you're familiar with Bleach, then you would know that 72 is not _as_ bad as that which Renji and Rukia grew up in, but still bad. 

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Notes_: I hope that my adding original characters isn't throwing people off any. Several of these characters are actually old characters which I've used before in prior non-yaoi Gundam Wing fanfics (those were written only for me ... :blush:) _Honor_ and _Laurie_ are both mine and then _Kenzie_ and _Aya_ are my best friend's creation (which she graciously allowed me to borrow and use in this story.

In this chapter (which is somewhat short because it's a bridge chapter) I've began using the term _phase_ for their progress through the academy. Now, I've had numerous discussions with fellow Bleach fanatics and none of us can agree exactly what goes on in the academy (or why you're are there for so long). Abarai Renji (Vice-Captain of the sixth gotei) states that he's reached the third phase at one point in a flashback to when he and main female character, Kuchiki Rukia, were in the academy. I have used that as the basis for determining whether you graduate with honors or not. After something that someone said about the lower ranked members of the gotei not knowing their zanpakutou's name (don't fret if this doesn't make any sense it will by chapter eleven), I decided that it _wasn't_ a factor in graduating from the academy. So, that's where I stand, and really I was only explaining this to those of you who _do_ read the manga / watch the anime. Happy reading everyone!  
-- Siberianknight 

Warnings: Mild language and angst. Duo is with someone _other_ than Heero in this, but it is only skimmed over nothing graphic ... but it was necessary. -- just to warn everyone.   
Status: COMPLETE   


-----

Duo paced back and forth in his dorm room. It had been over five hours since Heero had witnessed the kiss and run away. With no idea where Heero was, Duo was becoming very concerned and slightly angry. He must have run through the events over a million times in his head, and every time he could see why Heero was upset; however, being gone this long and not even trying to talk to Duo was a little childish, or so Duo thought. 

The sound of the door opening caused Duo's heart to begin pounding within his chest. Heero stood in the doorway, a tired and sad expression upon his chiseled face. "Duo ..." 

"Heero." Duo suddenly began to feel awkward, unsure of what to say to this man whom he'd loved for the past five years. 

"Duo why? Why did you kiss her?" 

Duo's mouth hang agape for a few moments, as the reality of what Heero had just asked him sank into his mind. "I -- God ... Heero, you really think that I would kiss someone other than you! Heero -- if you think that I'd _**ever**_ cheat on you, then you don't really know me!" All the emotions which had been warring within Duo since the start of this mess, finally merged together and fed his anger. "How the hell could you think that of me?" Duo grabbed a few clothes and stormed to the door. He paused and looked directly into Heero's eyes. "Well? Are you just going to stand there with that stupefied expression on your face?" 

Heero's response was a glare. Duo huffed and threw open the door, with a loud slam he was gone. Heero turned and stared at the white door. He was puzzled as to why Duo didn't want to talk and try to work through everything. The question had been a simple one, and Heero had thought very hard about what he was going to say to Duo. However, what he had said upset Duo, and Heero had no idea why. "Duo's so confusing sometimes." Heero walked over to his bed and lay back onto the fluffy softness. 

He gazed blankly at the ceiling. "I'll wait until he calms down, then talk to him ... after all, I'll see him in class tomorrow." Heero rolled onto his side; the empty space beside him hurt him more than he had expected. A knot slowly formed in the pit of his stomach, and a tear quietly escaped from his eye. What had he done? 

Duo never showed for his classes the next day, and Heero knew that it was because of him. He had replayed their very short confrontation over and over in his head, but was never able to figure out just what had angered Duo. It wasn't as if Duo _hadn't_ kissed Hilde, because he did, so that made Heero's question legitimate. "Heero!" A familiar voice called out to him from across the quad. Heero tried to find who it belonged to, but there were too many people walking before him. Finally he noticed a blond head bobbing in and out through the crowd. It was Quatre. "Heero, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you." 

"I was in class." 

"I've got a message from Duo. He said that if you want to try talking again, meet him at the oak tree in the quad this evening around eight." 

Heero felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart, Duo was giving him a second chance. "Thank you, Quatre." He was unable to hide the bright smile which formed on his face, but he didn't really care if Quatre saw how happy that made him. 

"You're welcome." 

-----

Duo sat under the massive oak which was in the center of the quad. The campus was quiet this night, and the stars shown brightly down on the snow covered ground. Duo looked behind him when he heard footsteps approaching. He was disappointed that it wasn't Heero, but it was still early. 

Hilde sat down next to Duo and smiled sheepishly. "I saw you sitting here by yourself and thought you might be lonely." 

"No, I'm waiting on someone." 

"Oh, really? Well, can I wait with you?" 

"Sure." Hilde hid her smile behind her hand; she leaned slightly against Duo's shoulder and waited with him in silence. 

Heero walked through the snow, his heart feeling hopeful and his mind racing trying to think of what to say to Duo. He never expected the walk upon the scene which lay before him. Hilde was tucked under Duo's arm, her head resting on his shoulder. Heero's heart lurched into his throat; he didn't know what to say or do. If he continued toward Duo and confronted him, he could hear exactly what he didn't want to hear; however, if he ran away he would always wonder, but he would be safe from being the one who was turned down. 

Heero's feet moved on their own free will up to Duo. Anger flooded his senses. Duo was elated to see that Heero had arrived, but was puzzled as to why he looked so angry. Then he remembered that Hilde had become cold and Duo had draped his cloak around the two of them. "Heero ... wait --" Heero grabbed Duo's kimono and lifted him to his feet. 

"Bastard." Heero whispered, tears stinging his eyes. He shoved Duo violently back against the tree, causing Duo's lower back to hit hard against the top of the bench. Duo's head snapped backwards from the impact and slammed against the trunk of the tree with a sickening thud. Hilde screamed as Duo slumped down onto the ground. Heero glared at the girl and then stormed off in the direction of the dorm. 

Hilde tried to rouse Duo, but he had been knocked out completely. Blood gushed from the wound on the back of his head, causing the young girl more concern. "Someone help me! Please!" Hilde was sobbing and cradling Duo's head in her lap, trying to stop the blood from coming out of the injury. Just as she thought that she couldn't scream anymore, a young girl with light brown braids emerged from one of the surrounding buildings. 

"What's wrong?" 

"His head ... he's bleeding badly." Hilde allowed the group of young nurses surrounding the braided girl to place Duo on a stretcher. 

"Don't worry, everything will be okay." 

"Thanks ... um ...?" Hilde awaited the girl's name. 

"Sally. Sally Poe." 

"Hilde." 

The group walked into the infirmary and Hilde sat patiently in the waiting room for news on Duo's condition. After awhile, Sally emerged, a grin shining on her face. "He's going to be fine. His back concerned us more than his head wound, but he was merely bruised badly." 

Hilde breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness. I was so worried." 

"What happened exactly? How did he fall?" 

"He didn't fall. A friend of his pushed him. I'm not sure why, but he seemed very angry at him and he just pushed him as hard as he could." 

"Thank you. I'll report this to the headmaster." Sally bowed slightly and then turned to leave. Hilde walked down the quiet corridor which lead to Duo's room. He was laying in his cot, sleeping. She pulled a chair up to the bed and sat. 

"Why did he do this to you?" Hilde began to stroke Duo's hair, her heart heavy for the boy. "It's not fair. I'm glad you're okay, though. I don't know what I would have done if you had died." 

"You love him don't you?" A quiet voice startled Hilde. She turned around to find the source, but could not. "I asked you a question. Do you love him?" The voice insisted. 

"Y-yes. I do." 

"Then would you do anything for him?" 

"Who are you?" Hilde rose from her seat and began walking in the direction of the voice. 

"Stay put!" The voice hissed angrily. "Just answer my question." 

"I would ... but why do you that?" Hilde was met with silence. She began to walk around the room, trying to find some evidence of the owner of the voice. The only thing she found was a white envelope laying on the ground. She picked it up and pulled out a letter. As she read the letter her hand began to shake. 

Hilde tried to steady herself, but was still in shock. She knew that she couldn't tell anyone, and she wished now that she hadn't picked up the letter. A groan from Duo forced Hilde to calm herself. She ran to his side and made sure that she stayed there to take care of him until he was well enough to leave the infirmary. 

-----

Duo had written Heero almost every day since he had awakened in the infirmary. Hilde now knew the truth, yet she stayed by his side trying her best to be a good friend to him. Heero never responded to any of Duo's letters. 

On the day that Duo was released, he had hoped that Heero would be waiting for him outside under the oak tree, but yet again, there was no Heero. Duo accepted the fact that they were never going to be together again, and walked quietly back to his dorm, desperately trying to repress any hope that he'd be there. 

The dorm room was empty. The twin beds had been separated and all of Heero's clothes had been removed from the room. He had in fact moved and that hadn't been a rumor. Only Trowa had known what was going on, and Heero had sworn him to confidence. Duo laughed humorlessly. What he and Heero had hadn't been perfect, but it was the best thing that had ever happened to Duo. Naturally with his luck, it ended because of a stupid misunderstanding. With a sigh Duo decided that he should pour all of himself into his studies and not concern himself with Heero. Ever again. 

_Three Years Later ..._

Somehow, despite the horrendous emptiness which filled Duo's mind and heart, he had made it to the third phase. He was but one step closer to attempting to commune with his soul to find the name of his zanpakutou. He never saw Heero, but he had heard about his achievements. In fact, the two were at almost the same level, Heero was just a bit stronger than Duo. 

As for Hilde, she had not left Duo's side once, proclaiming that it was her fault, but there was no way that she could give up on their friendship. Duo hadn't wanted to allow her to stay close, because she reminded him of what had happened, but he couldn't push her away for she always found a way to come back into his life. He had other friends, but there was no one he allowed to see as deeply inside as he had Heero ... not even Hilde. 

It was on one of their now many trips to Earth that he met someone that came very close to breaking through his barrier. She was tall, blonde, and a little reckless. Different enough from Heero to make him forget, but similar enough in attraction that made Duo ache for what he had had with Heero. Her name was Laurie and she was year behind Duo. She had already reached the fourth phase, so she had been placed with Duo's outing group. 

Today's objective was to work in groups of two to fight Hollows. Always before they had been fake Hollows, but this time they were to test their skills on the real ones. A shinigami was with the teams at all times, as a safety precaution. 

"So, you think we'll see one today?" Duo gazed at the girl's deep brown eyes, and the thought passed through his head that she was dangerous and he should stay away from her. Yet, Duo found himself drawn to her for some reason. 

"Hmm ..." She smiled brightly and laughed a laugh which reminded Duo of a playful nymph. "I would like to try my skills out on one, but if not it's enough to get and sit with you." Laurie looked straight at Duo this time, her brown eyes glowing with an intensity which conveyed her feelings to him. 

Duo felt somewhat uncomfortable. He and Heero and never officially broken up, and after all, he was by nature attracted to males not females. That same voice which had been hounding him since the first day he had met Laurie, screamed at him once again. "_Don't fall for it! You_ still _love Heero!_" But Heero hadn't bothered to ever contact Duo in three years. It was time to move on, and be happy again. "I have to agree. Sitting with me is nice." Duo grinned his best playful grin, deciding to flirt with her for all he was worth. Her laughter filled his senses again. "When we get back to Soul Society ... would you like to go to dinner with me?" 

Laurie's eyes lit up with surprise. She stuttered slightly when she answered, but her joy was evident in the soft voice. "Y-yes ... I would love to do that. I'm surprised you asked me. I was starting to think that I was going to have to ask _you_ out." 

Duo chuckled lightly. "Sorry it took so long. I -- well, I should tell you that I had a ... boyfriend before." Laurie's face lit up with puzzlement and astonishment. "By the look on your face you obviously had no idea." 

"No. It's fine. I don't really care what you did before. So long as you put everything into this relationship now." Duo knew in his heart that wasn't entirely possible for him to **ever** do, but he would treat her with the respect which she deserved. 

-----

Duo and Laurie had been seeing each other for six months before she dared to broach the sensitive subject of a closer, more intimate relationship. Duo had fully explained to her that he had lost his virginity to his ex-boyfriend, and that he had never been with anyone else but Heero. She had accepted it, and told him that she had been with her ex-boyfriend as well. Laurie's ex, Zechs, had been the one to break up with her, but they had remained friends. 

The talks started innocently enough, and then escalated. Laurie really wanted to sleep with Duo, who was still uncertain of everything. It wasn't until one day in late Spring when Duo spotted Heero with Aya, now third seated shinigami of the eleventh gotei, that he decided to move forward. He would erase every memory he had of Heero with one night. 

Laurie asked Duo a half dozen times whether he was certain he was ready before anything happened that night; Duo continually said that he was certain. After the wave of passion had passed Duo lay with a sleeping Laurie tucked within his arms. He felt so empty. He had believed that by committing himself to this girl, that Heero would be but a distant memory; however, that assumption had been completely wrong. In fact, Duo couldn't think about anyone _but_ Heero. The way his lips had felt on his fevered flesh. The brush of his strong and rough hands on parts so sensitive it drove him insane. Duo wanted Heero back, and this reality had never been so clear as it was that moment. He would have to figure out a way to tell Laurie, a way which wouldn't completely crush her. 

Duo was sitting on the couch in the main room of Laurie's small apartment when she awakened. When she walked into the room and saw Duo's face, she knew that it was over. After all, she had sensed the sadness within him the moment they had began to kiss the previous night. "We're breaking up ... aren't we." Her voice was so small and soft it broke Duo's heart. He had cared for her, but not the way she deserved. 

"I can't do this. I still love Heero so much that it's painful. And I don't want to be a dead weight to you. You deserve someone who will love you and only you. I'm sorry." 

"It's okay. I knew it last night. I should've stopped what we were doing, but you seemed so insistent ... that well, I couldn't." Laurie sat next to Duo and leaned against him. "I'll still be your friend. So if you need anything --" 

Duo cut her off and stood. "No. I'm sorry Laurie. I did that once before and Heero ... well it was why we broke up. Let me do this myself. I dug my own hole and I'm determined to get out of it now." 

"I understand. Maybe after the two of you get back together, I can meet him. I'd really like to see the man who captured your heart so completely." Duo grinned and left Laurie with a surprisingly light heart. He had a mission now to win back the affections of one Heero Yuy, and he was determined to do so. 

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Notes_: Thank you all for your patience. This is the completed chapter, and tonight I _am_ starting chapter ten, the seating exam. It should be light-hearted compared to this chapter. 

Warnings: Lots of angst and weird stuff going on.   
Status: COMPLETE 

-----

Heero stared blankly out the large picture window in his small apartment. In his lap were all the letters Duo had written him, each one slightly discolored from being handled over the past three years. Heero had read them over and over, trying to figure out exactly how to stop the jealousy which was stirring within him. He knew that if he had forgiven Duo, things would never be as they once were even if Duo had been completely innocent. Heero was tired of thinking, tired of crying, and tired of hurting. Aya had forcefully entered into his life, prying information out of him, stating that it was better for him to talk about it than to hold it inside himself. He had disagreed, but somehow Aya had learned everything about his and Duo's relationship. She had worked so swiftly and discreetly that Heero never realized that he had spilled it all to her. 

Aya had just left his apartment, they had been talking about where he should be placed after he graduated. She had promised to put in a good word to her captain. Heero had just nodded. He never spoke much these days, not since he and Duo had separated. The sound of the door opening and shutting caused Heero to abandon his seat and see who had entered his apartment. It was Trowa, and he had food with him. "I cooked this for you. You need to eat something more than the gruel you fix." 

Heero grunted and unwrapped the plate of chicken. He stared blankly at the food, a question on his mind, but unwilling to spill from his lips. 

"He's fine. I checked on him yesterday ... well, I saw him across the campus yesterday. He was in the arena practicing his demon arts. Looking well too, although he still hasn't put on any meat. He's still skinny." 

"Not as skinny as you." Heero jabbed his fork into the grilled chicken and took a bite. He didn't taste the food as it slid down his throat. 

"Hey." Trowa sighed and sat in the chair across from Heero. Trowa and Quatre had been Heero's only contacts outside of school, until Aya had entered into Heero's life. They had fed him and given him a place to stay until he and Duo were back together. However, the two had never reconciled, Heero had never tried. Trowa knew better than to push Heero into going to Duo, but Quatre sadly had not known. He had tried again and again to get Heero to at least go and see Duo to let him try and explain everything, but Heero had simply glared at the blond man. He was so angry that he couldn't see past that one moment, the moment when he realized that Duo's arm was around the girl he had been caught kissing. 

After a year of Quatre's nagging, Heero had found his own place and moved. He was almost ready to graduate, he was now a seventh year student and had completed most of the courses required to graduate. The one thing left for him to do was to attempt to find his zanpakutou within his soul. Heero was determined to be one of the few students who could accomplish this feat prior to graduating from the academy. 

"Heero," Trowa frowned as he looked upon his friend. Heero's hair was in desperate need of a cut, and he had some stubble on his chin from neglect. "If you don't get a hold of yourself, you're not going to be able to hear the voice of your zanpakutou." 

"I know, Trowa." Heero stressed Trowa's name out of annoyance. This was yet one more thing that he was tired of, being told to let go and to find his center. Damn his center and letting go, he wanted to be miserable. After all, in Heero's mind he deserved it for being reluctant in speaking with Duo. Now he knew there was no hope. He had heard people talking about Duo and Laurie; their words had crushed Heero, and told him there was no chance now of the two of them fixing everything. It was over. 

Heero rose from his seat and walked over to the door. He picked up his asauchi. "I'm going to meditate. Stay if you want." Heero walked out the door. Trowa stared at the door wondering if Heero would ever be like he was before. He had changed so much from the silent and angry child, and now he was returning to his previous self. Trowa knew he had to do something. 

-----

Heero walked solemnly to the same spot he always went to whenever he planned to meditate. There was no one around, only animals. He felt that it was the one place where Duo's ghost wouldn't haunt him. 

Heero began as he had for the past year, a deep steadying breath and a slow exhale as his eyes drifted shut. He had come very close more than once to finding his inner world, but every time he had lost his concentration. Usually it was because a familiar presence had disrupted his peace. Though, the source of the presence could never be found. Heero cleared his mind and allowed himself to look inward. Soon he became very calm and focused, he was very close to reaching his center once again. Then just like every time before, that same feeling of someone being close to him broke through his trance. 

Heero refused to pay attention to the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He was going to do it this time. He would find his inner world. A bright light flashed and suddenly Heero found himself in a wide open field. Beautiful wildflowers littered the landscape, gently bending with the soft wind. He looked around amazed at how peaceful and beautiful it was, and that was when he spotted it. The dark cloud over a mountain in the distance. What appeared to have once been a beautiful and serene place was now horribly marred and dark. 

Heero's feet began to move toward to the scarred area of the field. A knot began to form in his stomach; he knew that he was heading toward an area which housed unpleasant things, but there was a strong possibility that his zanpakutou was there. The closer he came to the darkness, he began to smell burnt wood and grass. Heero was amazed at the destruction of everything, and the fact that it resembled his home in Rukongai. 

The area before Heero was that of the second house in which he and Duo had spent their teenage years living. It was the place where Heero had confessed his feelings to Duo, and where they had lost their virginity. A solitary tear slipped from Heero's expressive blue eyes as he gazed upon the wreckage of the house. 

"Sad, isn't it?" An all too familiar voice spoke from behind Heero. Heart racing, Heero turned to face the person who had spoken. 

Trowa knocked on Duo's dorm room door; he was greeted by a sleepy and yawning Duo. "Hey Trowa. C'mon in." Duo moved away from the door to allow Trowa inside. "So what's up?" 

"Duo ... I know I haven't said anything to you about this, but -- Heero's miserable." Duo's eyes lit up when Trowa spoke Heero's name. He had been intending to see him for the past week, but with the busy schedule Duo was leading, it had been impossible. "He needs you. Desperately. He still loves you." 

"Funny. He sure doesn't act like he's in love with me." Duo slumped into a chair and concentrated on the floor. He refused to allow Trowa to see the tears which were threatening to fall from his eyes. 

"Duo, he -- messed up. It's not my place to tell you what he's told me in confidence, but I think you should go and talk with him." 

"I've been planning to. I've just been too busy studying for my final exams." 

"I understand that. I do. But I mean it when I say that he still loves you." 

"I still love him too." Duo's voice cracked as the tears he had been holding at bay finally fell. "I never stopped. I didn't cheat on him -- everything was just a horrible misunderstanding. I wish to God that I could change it all, but I can't. And I've told Heero that, but he _**never**_ responded. Never, Trowa. There's no way he still loves me. I was never important to him I guess. I just wasn't '_his soul_' as he always liked to say." 

Heero stared at the source of the voice. His long hair was free from its usual braided prison and he was wearing what looked like an old styled priest outfit. The length of the black overcoat hugged his trim body and accentuated his form in a very appealing manner. "Duo ..." Heero breathed. He was so shocked that he wasn't sure how to respond. Why was Duo inside of his soul? Was he part of this dark twisted scene or something more ...? 

"Surprised?" Duo chuckled softly. "I knew you would be. You probably had no idea that you had done this to yourself." 

"Huh? How --?" 

"How? Hmm ... maybe it's because of your ignoring Duo's feelings. His pleas to you to try and work everything out. Or maybe you're asking how I'm here." 

Heero's brows drew together in a scowl of concentration. He was starting to think that possibly his mind was beginning to play tricks on him. "Why are you here?" 

"You mean to say that you've been meditating for the past year and you don't know where you are?" 

"Duo, I know where I am ... this is my soul, my inner world. But what I don't understand is why you're here." Heero slowly approached the image of Duo, who quickly stepped farther away from Heero. 

"My name is not Duo. I am not the man whom you love. My name is ..." Heero strained to here his introduction, but failed. He clearly heard the man speak, but he was unable to make out any words. The Duo-look-alike shook his head and chuckled softly. "You have to open up your heart and look deep within. Then you will be ready to hear my name." 

"How? I've been doing this for a year. I was hoping that I could be one of the few who was able to reach shikai before I graduated." 

"From what I hear, that's an unheard of feat." The man walked around looking at the charred building. "It's in your reach, Heero. All you have to do is open up to me. That's all." He turned and smiled at Heero. Flames flared up around _Duo_ and Heero screamed as the fire engulfed the two of them and became a red-hot wall between the two. 

Heero's eyes flew open, Duo's name on his lips. He panted and shook himself as he realized that he was back in the outside world. "Why? Why did that happen ...? Who was that?" Heero's head was pounding and he was beginning to feel sick. He decided that he had trained enough for one day, and would head back home. 

Trowa sighed deeply and sat on the edge of Duo's bed; Duo was crying and Trowa knew how much he hated people to see that side of him. Duo viewed it as a weakness which could be exploited, so he had trained himself to never show his more vulnerable side to anyone. Heero had been the only person to ever see him cry. "Tell me what to do Trowa. I'll do it. I'll do anything Heero wants me to -- I just want him back." 

Trowa reached out a hand to try and comfort Duo, who looked no better than Heero did. Like Heero it was obvious that he hadn't been eating properly, and his hair no longer held the bright shine it once held before Heero and Duo had split. "Come with to his apartment. If Heero wants to kill me -- so be it. I can't watch my two friends slowly allow themselves to die." 

Duo gazed up at Trowa, his eyes were bloodshot now, and he looked small and lost. "Okay. I'll get dressed." 

Trowa stood and walked to the door. "I'll wait outside." 

Duo's stomach felt like a butter churn. He wasn't sure how Heero would react when he saw him with Trowa, and what made matters worse, was the fact that Duo had slept with Laurie. Duo shut his eyes tightly. "I'll tell him that _after_ we work through everything. -- God who am I kidding! Heero's going to hate me for what I did and never speak to me." Duo allowed his head to hit against the wall with a loud thump. "I hate myself." 

-----

Heero laid down on his bed after taking some aspirin. He stared at the white speckled ceiling thinking about what the Duo inside him had said. There was a possibility that Heero had created that area when he believed that Duo had cheated on him, but then it could just represent a dark part of himself. Heero groaned miserably and rolled over on his side to face the window. A bird darted by, a worm in its beak, for one second Heero wished he was a bird, that way all he would have to worry about is worms. There would be no pain, no love, no Duo ... but that would make him even more pained. 

Heero drifted off into a fitful nap, his dreams consisting of nothing but Duo. A persistent knocking sound broke through one of the more disturbing dreams and awakened Heero. "Who is it!" He called out angrily, still laying on his bed. 

"Trowa." Trowa waited for Heero to open the door, but that never happened. "Heero, open the door!" 

"I don't want to see anyone." Heero had walked to the door and was peering through the peephole. He saw Trowa standing, rather impatiently, and then he saw Duo. His heart leaped into his throat and then fell quickly into the pit of his stomach. Why was Duo with Trowa? Had he told Duo everything? Why Heero had not spoken with him? With a deep sigh, Heero opened the door. "Duo can come in. You back to Quatre." 

"Okay. Don't kill each other." 

Duo laughed derisively. "If it happens it'll be a mercy killing." He walked past Trowa and sat in one of the chairs surrounding Heero's small kitchen table. 

Heero quietly thanked Trowa and then shut the door. He stood there, his hand resting on the handle for a few moments. "Why are you here?" Heero finally asked in a softer than normal voice. 

"To say I'm sorry. And that I love you ... I always have." Duo hoped that by saying that up front, then Heero would be more receiving of anything that came later. He was hoping that since three years had passed, those three words would be all it would take to gain Heero's forgiveness. Even though Duo knew that was only a dream. 

"You can love someone and treat them like shit, Duo. I've come to realize that." Heero still wouldn't face Duo. He was afraid that if he turned and looked into those large indigo eyes that he would crumble, and he needed his strength to ask Duo about Laurie. 

"I wrote to you ... did you not read the letters?" 

"I read them. All of them." 

"Then why the hell didn't you respond?" Duo stood and walked over to Heero. He gently placed his hands on Heero's arms and forced him to turn and look at him. "Answer me -- please." Heero looked up reluctantly, and he saw the signs of Duo's previous bought of tears. He steeled himself against the pitiful expression on his love's face. Heero had to get through this, if not the two of them would never be truly happy again. 

Heero breathed deeply before calmly explaining to Duo. "Because I didn't think I was ready to forgive you. When I showed up ... your arm was around her. The two of you looked very cozy." 

"I know. I -- I didn't think. She said she was cold, and I offered her my cloak. She refused and said that we could share. I'm not trying to put the blame on Hilde. I'm the guilty one because I didn't think about how that would look to you. Or to anyone for that matter! But Heero -- I don't love her. I don't feel anything for her! I love **you**!" 

Heero averted his eyes once again from the pain he saw on Duo's face. "What about Laurie? What is she to you?" 

"L-laurie ... how did you ...?" 

"I heard rumors. They said the two of you were dating." 

Duo sat back down at the table. He hadn't expected to have to talk about Laurie so quickly. "We were. But we broke up, because I still love you." 

Heero grunted, for the first time Duo was unable to read the meaning behind the sound. "How long did you date her?" 

"About seven months." Duo took in a shaky breath. "Heero -- I ... I slept with her." He glanced out of the corner of his eye to catch Heero's reaction to his confession. With a tight chest, Duo continued. "We'd been dating for six months, but we had known each other for about a year. She wanted a more intimate relationship. I considered it, but I could only think of how much I loved you and I wasn't ready to give you up. But, the day that _it_ happened, I saw you and Aya together. For some reason I got this crazy idea that the two of you were now a couple." Again, Duo glanced at Heero. It was impossible to have any idea how he was reacting to what Duo was telling him; Heero's face was stone-still and his eyes were downcast. Duo plunged onward. "I thought if I moved forward in my relationship with her, that you would be a distant memory. That I'd forget about you -- but it didn't happen. I was so empty, so lonely. I knew then that you were the only one I loved or would ever love. I can't change what I did Heero. It happened. And I know that --" 

"That what?" Heero's voice was low and held a dangerous edge to its timbre. "That I would be upset. But somehow completely forget it? Forget that you _slept_ with someone else. When I did _**nothing**_. I was going to come back to you Duo, when I was ready. But," Heero's laugh was soft, but Duo could sense the mixture of depression and anger. "I need to be alone, Duo." 

"Heero ... please, just --" 

"NO! Get out -- now." Heero's body was trembling from his repressed anger. Duo lingered one second more, before slamming the door behind him. Angry, hurt, and confused, Heero picked up his asauchi and left for his meditation spot. 

-----

Duo wandered the campus for about an hour before he finally decided to head back to his dorm room. He wasn't sure what to do. Heero now knew what had happened between himself and Laurie, but the problem was that Heero was furious with him. Duo was uncertain as to whether or not Heero viewed what happened as yet another form of cheating, or if he had just simply been hurt. 

The pain Duo had seen in Heero's eyes haunted his restless sleep that night. After attempting to go back to sleep for what felt like the millionth time, Duo decided to meditate and practice reaching within himself. He was going to have to do this sooner or later if he ever wanted to advance within the shinigami rankings, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity. He needed a good solid distraction from the hurt and confusion welling within him. 

Duo sat in the center of his room with his eyes closed. He reached deep within himself, and very quickly found himself next to the ocean. The soft roar of the waves crashing upon the pebbled beach filled his senses. Duo slowly opened his eyes and what met him was not a beautiful relaxing beach, but a horrible nightmare. The sky was churning and held a hideous green tint. Far off in the distance, dark gray clouds churned in and out of each other angrily. Rain fell on the dark blue-green water causing the frothy foam upon the surface to swirl in menacing patterns. 

"This looks like hell." Duo whispered softly as he bent over to pick up a dark pebble. As he righted himself, he had the distinct feeling that he was being watched. Turning around slowly, Duo somehow knew who it was that was watching him, even before he saw those dark blue eyes gazing at him from under a mop of messy chocolate brown hair. "Heero. Why are you here?" 

"Wondering why you're hating yourself so much." Heero's voice was soft and helped ease some of Duo's discomfort. 

"Because I hurt you -- more than once. Everything's my fault ... there's nothing I can do to change that." 

Heero slipped off of the rock on which he had been seated. "And so you hate yourself?" 

Duo shrugged and glanced out at the ocean. "I suppose I do. I hate myself for hurting you." 

"I don't think that Heero hates you. He still loves you -- but you need to let go of this anger. It'll only destroy you, but if you allow it to consume you ... there'll be nothing left for Heero to love." Duo was puzzled as to why Heero was referring to himself in third person. He was also wondering about his outfit of immaculate white. Heero was sporting an open white oxford shirt and very tight white pants. The brilliant white against Heero's skin made him appear to be much darker than usual. Heero smirked. "You look hungry. Want something to eat?" 

Duo blushed and looked away from Heero. "No. I'm fine." 

"You don't know who I am ... do you." Heero followed Duo's gaze and joined him in staring at the dark clouds in the distance. 

"You're not Heero ... but yet you are." 

The laughter which spilled from Heero's mouth was music to Duo's ears. He hadn't heard that sound in so long that his heart constricted with sadness. "Intuitive. You catch on quickly. Just like always." 

"You're my zanpakutou -- aren't you." Duo turned and gazed at Heero. It was the only explanation, the man standing next to him was the physical incarnation of his soul cutter sword. 

"Yes." The answer was spoken softly, and Duo had to strain over the sound of the waves to hear. So this was his zanpakutou, how ironic. His true love, his soul mate, was the person who basically represented his soul's fighting spirit. "If you're wondering why I look like Heero, it's quite simple really. You love Heero more than anything else, and you garner much of your strength to live and to fight through him. As he does you. So it's only natural that I look like him." 

"Is it like this for everyone?" 

"No. Everyone is different -- it just depends on their soul. Look around you, what do you think when you see this area?" 

"I think of sadness and raging anger and pain." 

"Clear it up." 

"It's not that easy! You can't just stand there and tell me to forget what _I_ did to Heero! I hurt him. I hurt _us_ -- that's not just something I can stand here and forgive ... especially since he hasn't forgiven me." 

"I can't tell you my name then. I'm sorry. You're soul must be free of all strong negative emotions -- you must be _ready_ to hear my name. You must be focused." Heero began to fade, and Duo reached out to stop him, but was too late. 

Duo plopped down onto the beach and stared at the clouds. "Can I really fix my anger at myself?" He laid back and closed his eyes, focusing on the one thing that he knew he could do, and that was to win Heero's heart back. Slowly, one by one, the clouds began to calm and the wind quieted. Duo's determination began to grow and overtake the anger which he had been feeling only moments earlier. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that the sky was a bright blue, the sea was calm, and the wind was just a cooling breeze now. 

"I told you, you could do it." Heero was standing behind him, a grin dancing across his face. 

"Heh. You were right." Duo stood and dusted himself off. "So -- now what?" 

"I tell you my _real_ name." Duo's heart began to pound inside his chest. With the next few words out of Heero's mouth, he would officially be on the path of becoming a strong shinigami. "My name is, _Seikousen_." 

Duo smiled. "So that's your name? I like it. Some how it fits." 

"Look at your asauchi." Duo lifted his sword and gazed at how it had changed. "That is it's shikai form." The sword which had been plain before, now held an intricate inlay of silver. The blade itself held one flat edge and then the sharp edge slowly curved from large to small, almost like a butcher's knife. The blade was a brilliant white and the hilt and guard were all decorated with bits of silver and platinum; lastly a silver threaded tassel hung from the end of the hilt. "Say my name and your asauchi will transform into this." 

"It's beautiful." Duo whispered as he moved the sword back and forth, allowing the sunlight to play across the metal. He turned to thank Seikousen, but he had already disappeared. A moment later Duo found himself back in his dorm room, his asauchi laying beside him in its new form, a simple white blade with a silver tassel hanging from the hilt. He smiled and caressed the sword. "I'll get you back -- I promise." 

-----

Heero stood in the pile of ashes that once was his home in Rukongai. He had been standing there for a full thirty minutes, wondering where the hell the Duo look-alike was. He was going to get some answers as to why his inner world was now a chard field with what was once a small cabin now laying in ruins around him. "Duo!" Heero screamed once again, as he had done every five minutes since he had entered that world. 

"Will you stop screaming. You're giving me the worst headache." The man was standing behind Heero, a broad smirk plastered across his stupidly handsome face. Heero was really considering punching him, but then he would have to wait for him to regain consciousness and he had been waiting long enough. 

"Why are you here? And why does the place now look like this?" 

"Wow. Do you do anything besides ask questions? No wonder I have a headache." Duo began to poke through the charred remains of the building. 

"Are you looking for something?" Heero followed behind him, inspecting each spot, but he found nothing of value or interest. There was only ashes wherever he looked. 

"There you go again!" Duo stood and threw his arms up in the air in a silent plea. "Why? Huh? I know -- I'll ask you some questions. Why the fuck did you not listen to what Duo had to say to you? You just cut him off ... _every_ time, and look at yourself now!" He spread his arms wide and indicated the scorched land surrounding the two. "_You_ did this. _Not_ Duo." 

Heero starred slack-jawed at this Duo. Why did he do what he did? It was a very simple answer, he had pushed Duo away yet again because he couldn't deal with the emotions he had been feeling. He needed time -- time to sort through the pain and the anger, so that he could find forgiveness for Duo. Although, Heero now realized with a bit of regret, he had waited too long. Now Duo had slept with someone else, and ... with a bit of surprise, Heero found himself agreeing with this inner world Duo. "You're right. It is all my fault that it got this out of hand. But that doesn't change the fact that he _slept_ with someone that _wasn't_ me." 

Duo moved closely to Heero, his indigo eyes bored holes into Heero's darker blue eyes. "Do you love him?" 

"Well ... yes. I do." 

"Then you can forgive him -- right?" 

"No." The answer came so swiftly that Duo had to blink a few times before it registered that Heero had spoken. 

"No? Why the hell not? I'm not talking about _right_ this very moment, but later ... after the two of you have --" 

"I can't do it. The thoughts of him being someone else ... it's all I can do to stop them in my head when I see him." 

"What? Heero, the _only_ time you've seen him since he's told you was _**when**_ he told you. Now ... don't you think that you're jumping the gun a little here? I think you should go to him and talk. See what happens." 

"I can't do it. It's hard enough to look at you." Heero's shoulders slumped slightly as he began to walk away from Duo. 

"There you go again ... running away from everything -- because it doesn't hurt as much, right?" Heero's back stiffened as he heard what Duo had to say. "I'm right, aren't I. You run away from him because he scares the hell outta you. He makes you feel strong emotions that you can't quite deal with. Right?" 

"What the hell do you know about me?" Heero turned slowly around to face his tormentor. His pain screamed from behind his prussian blue eyes; his clinched fists were the only things that stayed him from strangling this other man. "You know _nothing_ about me!" 

"On the contrary, Heero. I know everything about you. I am your zanpakutou -- and we always know about our hosts." 

Heero swallowed hard and looked closely at his zanpakutou. The resemblance to Duo was uncanny. Every facial expression, every mannerism, every freckle ... they were all there. For all purposes, this _was_ Duo; however, Heero knew that there was much more to this than what lay before his eyes. "My zanpakutou?" 

"Yes, but you have so much other pain and anger inside of you that you can't hear my name." 

"I don't believe you." 

"I didn't expect that you would. Well, I'm getting tired -- I think I'll go lay down until you figure this shit out." Duo scooted his foot around in the ashes and then laid down on his back. His eyes closed and his chest began to move softly up and down. 

Heero grunted in annoyance. Why did he have to _fix_ things, especially when they couldn't be fixed? All he wanted was to forget what he had seen, what Duo had told him. He just wanted to forget everything. In fact ... for a fraction of a moment, Heero wished that he could erase Duo from his memory. 

"I wouldn't wish for that, if I were you. It may come true one day." 

"Stuff it." Heero spat out angrily. 

The zanpakutou spirit began to chuckle as he sat up to face Heero. "'_Stuff it_'? That's the best you can do? Come on, let it out! Yell at me! I look like Duo, and I guess essentially -- I _am_ Duo. Yell at me. Tell me how much you hurt, how angry you are with me. It'll make you feel better." 

"You'll get mad at me." Heero glanced at the spirit in a somewhat sheepish manner. 

The spirit began to laugh out loud then. This was no small laugh either, it was a good hardy laugh, one that came from the tips of your toes. "You're afraid to share your feelings with me, well Duo, because we'll get mad at you." 

"I'm not good at confrontations." Heero turned to face the spirit, his bottom lip protruding slightly in a delicate pout. "And since you say you know me so well, then why didn't you already know that?" 

The spirit stopped laughing with Heero's last remark. "I don't know _everything_ about you. But I do know an awful lot. So, are you going to yell at me? Because telling me how you feel is the _only_ way to set things right." As an afterthought, the spirit added, "Oh, yeah. Don't forget you'll have to do it again when you see Duo." 

"Huh?" 

"Well, it's not like he'll know what you say to _me_. I am after all your zanpakutou ... not his. He can't hear my voice." 

"Then I'd rather not yell at you. There's no point." 

"Yes there is. C'mon, Heero ... do it." 

Heero stood there contemplating whether the spirit had a point or not. He did feel like hurting something, but that was exactly _why_ he hadn't talked with Duo yet. However, Heero had taken too long the first time, it was best that he didn't make that same mistake twice. After thinking for a few minutes, suddenly words began to spill out from within Heero. He wasn't sure why, but they just continued to pour forth along with his emotions. "It's not like I have a lot of confidence as far as our relationship goes, Duo. I often wonder if I'm what you want. If I'm interesting enough to keep you with me. If you love me as much as I love you. I seem to find myself wondering this way too often. Then that day when I saw you kissing Hilde, I snapped. I felt empty inside. Almost as if all my questions had been answered. 

So then, when I came back ... I had thought out exactly what I was going to say. I didn't want to upset you, but I did. I chose the wrong words, and then you were gone. I was so happy when you asked me to try again, to talk things through -- yet there she was. This time wrapped up in your arm and cloak. I -- I thought that you may have done that just to make me angry, to make me go away for good. I was so mad, at myself and at you. That's why I stayed away so long ... that was why I never answered your letters. I was afraid of what you would say, of what you would do. 

Today, though, when you came to my apartment -- I allowed myself a bit of hope, but I stupidly had to ask about Laurie. I wish that I hadn't now, but I did. And it makes me feel sick to think that you were with another person _that way_. I -- I ... **You're mine dammit!** Always and forever, _**mine**_!" Heero reached out and grabbed the spirit's shirt collar. He was torn between the desire to punch that face which he loved so much, or kiss it senseless. The spirit gently laid his hand on Heero's and smiled. 

"That was good. You showed enough emotions to make Duo see why you did what you did. -- At least I think you did." 

"I can't say that to him." Heero let go of the spirit's shirt and walked away from him. Rain began to pour down onto the two, washing away the soot and ashes. 

"Heero ... he loves you so much. I can tell by your memories of him. Please, Heero -- please forgive him, and try to start a new relationship with him. You can't go on living like this." 

"Why? What's the point? I messed up twice, and how am I supposed to keep my jealousy at bay? I know that's what caused the problems in the first place -- but I can't tell it to go away, it's part of me." 

The spirit sighed, this was proving much more difficult than he had originally expected. "At least you can recognize that you have that jealousy. It could be worse, you could be blaming Duo for everything." 

"But if he hadn't --" 

"Okay, now you're being an ass. Look, yes Duo made some mistakes ... but it's not like he set out to cheat on you." The spirit began to walk around Heero, his arms crossed against his chest. "Yes, he did kiss another girl while you were dating, but from what I understand -- she kissed _him_. Not really his fault. Then you caught them with his arm and cloak wrapped around each other. Yes that is his fault ... and somewhat stupid, but he said he was sorry -- and that it wasn't because he liked her that way. Am I right?" Heero grunted affirmatively and looked away from his zanpakutou. He decided that he hated the fact that it looked so much like Duo. "So," the spirit continued. "I feel that you should go and have another talk with him. Maybe say to him what you said to me." 

"I will. But not now. I've got you here and I'm not leaving until I get your name." 

"Stubborn little bastard." The spirit said quietly to himself. 

"Yes, I am." 

The spirit winced slightly when Heero spoke; he hadn't meant for him to hear that. "Okay, look ... let go of your anger, and then you might be able to hear my name. But you have to believe in yourself and _me_ before you can do so." 

Heero sat down on the ground and began to meditate. He was very determined now to rid himself of the negative feelings inside so that he could go back to Duo. He wanted to fix things, and he began to believe that he could forgive Duo. Heero thought back on all the good and fun times which he and Duo had shared. There was no way he was going to just let those go without a fight. He _would_ win him back. 

Slowly, the rain began to clear up and bit-by-bit the run-down house returned to its original state. The sun came out and shone down onto a beautiful field, which now had no charred or burning area within it. "You did it, Heero. I think you're ready to hear my name." 

"I am." 

"My name is _Shikousen_." 

Heero began to laugh softly. "Why am I not surprised with that name? Funny how you almost expect certain things from certain people ... and you have no idea why." Heero lifted his asauchi and inspected its transformation. The blade was a steely black with what looked like an onyx inlay running along the sword. The hilt and the guard were of antique gold; a black and gold tassel hung from the end of the hilt. The blade was large; it was flat on the dull side and the sharp edge curved down from large to small. 

"Your zanpakutou is one of two. It has a twin called _Seikousen_. Alone it's one of the most agile and powerful zanpakutou in existence. However, if used alongside of its twin -- they are near to unstoppable." 

"Thank you. I'll look for its twin." Heero smiled to himself. He knew who had the other zanpakutou, and he would find it very soon. 

-----

Heero walked to the quad the next day to meet Duo. As he neared the central area of the academy, his stomach began to grow taught. Heero was terrified he may find a similar scene to what met him the last time he had agreed to meet Duo in this spot. He rounded the corner next to the central building, and the scene before him broke his heart. 

Duo was standing in front of the same tree that Heero had shoved him against in anger. His hair was out of its braid and pulled back loosely in a simple que. In his hand was a large bouquet of daffodils, Heero's favorite flower. He looked just as nervous as Heero felt, and just as heartbreakingly beautiful as Heero remembered. 

Heero's steps quickened steadily as he walked toward Duo, who was beginning to fidget and was looking in the opposite direction from which Heero was approaching. His heart felt as if it was going to burst out of his chest. What if Heero had decided not to come? Duo wouldn't have blamed him, but he longed to be able just one more time to touch Heero, to talk to him, and to tell him how much he loves him. "Duo." The voice caused Duo's heart to skip a beat. He turned slowly to find Heero standing behind him, a gentle and welcoming smile on his face. 

Duo fought the tears which stung his eyes back and forced a smile onto his face to hide his raw emotions; but Heero saw those feelings shining brightly within those eyes that had haunted his dreams for the past three years. The eyes which had always looked upon him so gently and tenderly. How could he have ever doubted Duo's love? 

Duo shoved the flowers at Heero. "I -- I got these for you." A soft blush lit up Duo's cheeks as Heero's hand brushed his. 

"Duo," Heero tenderly placed a hand over Duo's and squeezed lovingly. 

"Huh?" Duo looked into Heero's probing eyes. He knew that Heero could read everything that was there. 

"I want to try to work through this." Heero looked down at their joined hands and the bouquet which was becoming slightly crushed. "I love you. And I was an idiot to think that you didn't love me as much. I thought that maybe I was something that amused you for a short time, but you had started to become bored with." 

"You'll never bore me." Duo tentatively reached out to stroke Heero's silken hair. He rested his palm against Heero's cheek, who then leaned into the open hand. Heero's eyes drifted shut as he breathed in the scent that was Duo. For a breathless moment the two men stood there touching and holding one another. It was a feminine voice which broke through their momentary bliss. 

"I see the two of you have made up." Heero and Duo turned to find seventh seated shinigami, eleventh gotei, Akimori Aya, standing with her arms crossed and sweet smile on her cherubic face. "I'm glad to see that. I was sent here with an invitation from my captain. He would like it if you sat for the entrance exam into the eleventh." 

Duo and Heero glanced at each other, completely stunned that the strongest guild would want them. "Sure." Duo agreed with a large grin and a handshake. "Thanks Akimori." 

"My pleasure." Aya bowed slightly and then left the two boys behind. 

"Wow, Heero ... can you believe it! The eleventh has requested for us to take the exam on their behalf. That rarely happens." 

Heero agreed softly. He was too busy watching the sunlight dance and play within the indigo depths of Duo's eyes. There was one thing that he loved most about Duo, and that was his happy nature. Of course, that happy nature wasn't always the true feelings within Duo, but for the most part -- it was. Heero had always been able to lift his spirits with just one moment of Duo's smile and laugh. Duo made him feel alive. 

-----

One month had passed since Duo and Heero had decided to work through things. They were living together once again, and happy just as before, possibly even more, now that they knew what it was like to not be with one another. Their final exam was this day. It was a blustery Fall day, with the winds blowing the dead leaves in circles around their feet. 

There were several hundred students who filed into the exam building. The first test was the reiatsu, or spirit pressure, test. Each student was to release their reiatsu as much as possible and then repress it as much as possible. The students were then given a number grade which indicated the level of release and repression of their spirit. Heero did extremely well in this part of the exam; Duo on the other hand, faired well, but not as good as Heero. This amused Heero to no end when Duo told him his score. 

"Stop laughing Heero. I can't help it if I don't have as great control over my body as you do." 

"I could've told them that." 

Duo's eyes widened and a very light blush colored his cheeks as he realized that Heero had just made a subtle sex joke. "Not funny." 

Heero snickered. "I like the way your body gets excited at the smallest thing." 

"It only does for you." Duo gently reminded. 

"I'm glad." Heero glanced at Duo, love burning intensely with his dark eyes. The misery he had felt for the past three years had all vanished now, leaving only tender and powerful emotions toward Duo. _His_ Duo. 

The next exam was a demon arts test. Each student was to demonstrate their knowledge of the demon arts. Here Duo faired better than Heero, but only slightly. In fact, Duo outdid everyone on this part of the exam. The worse part for him was the next stage. The written exam. It was very hard for him to concentrate on answering written questions for extended periods of time. Sure if they were asked to him aloud and he had time to think, there would be no problem, but there were at least two-hundred questions on the exam and there was a time limit. One hour to complete the whole test. Duo was panicking, and Heero was on the other side of the room from him. 

Duo looked over at Heero, who gave him a reassuring smile. At least Heero knew that Duo was getting worried. With a deep breath, Duo plunged into the test, forcing himself to stay focused on the questions long enough to answer them all. With one minute left, he completed the final question. He was confident that he had answered everything correctly and that he was going to graduate with Heero. 

Trowa, Quatre, Duo, and Heero all stood before the podium where Zechs Marquise stood giving his congratulatory speech to all the graduates. He wished them luck on their placement exams, and that he felt confident that all who stood before him were going to be great shinigami and achieve great things. 

They had all graduated and were moving on toward a new and better future. They were going to be the protectors of wandering and helpless souls, and of the humans down on Earth. Heero reached over and squeezed Duo's hand as Marquise said his final words to the shinigami before him. In a silent gesture of love, Duo returned the squeeze. The two had no idea that from somewhere in the crowd of spectators, a person's nails were digging into the tender flesh of their hands, angered at the display of affection between the two men. 

**Sei**-kou-sen - literally meaning Life Ray of Light, Duo's zanpakutou has some interesting abilities that you will later see. Lifesei Light (a ray or beam)kousen 

**Shi**-kou-sen - literally meaning Death Ray of Light, Heero's is obviously a leathal zanpakutou. Deathshi Light (a ray or beam)kousen 

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Notes_: First off, I want to explain something about Jackson. His speech pattern is a little on the odd side. The fact that his sentences run together **is not a mistake**. I just want everyone to know that. I didn't forget to space them.

**NOTICE: This is an EDITED version of this chapter, if you would like to read the UNEDITED chapter, please go to my website -- the link is also in my profile --.**  
Also, if you didn't read the second half of chapter nine, please go back and do so. I don't want anyone to be lost and confused 

**Warnings**: Language   
Status: COMPLETE 

-----

Duo sat still behind the bush waiting for the hollow to show himself once again. He'd been sitting there for over an hour, and no sign of the blasted thing yet. "Oi, Heero ... see anything?" 

"Negative." 

"Damnit. I hate this. We get asked to pick which quadrant we wanted to take our field exam in, and we have to pick the one that has nothing in it." Duo paused and listened to a noise fluttering up above his head. He glanced up just in time to see bird droppings heading for him. Luckily the bird missed, but only by a very small margin. "I almost got shit on Heero. This is a joke. Akimori did this to us, and she's laughing her pretty little ass off back at the headquarters." 

"Duo, you realize that they're monitoring our conversation." 

Heero's calmly issued reminder caused a sudden stillness on Duo's end of the radio. "I forgot about that. Since they're listening, I'd like to know what's going to happen when we don't do squat on this mission. Will we be passed, or what?" 

"I can't answer that Duo, focus please." Duo groaned, completely annoyed and bored with the situation in which they now found themselves. 

"I'm hungry." Duo finally broke another long period of radio silence with pointless chatter. 

"Duo, if you don't have anything constructive to say then ... sing to yourself. And leave the radio open in case something does happen." 

"Fine, fine. But didn't the center say that there was going to be a class one hollow in this area?" 

"Yes, but they weren't sure when. Now just calm yourself." 

"But I'm _**b-o-r-e-d**_." Duo drawled, adding more emphasis to his complete and utter disinterest with the test, or lack thereof. 

"Shhh." Trowa snapped. "If you two will be quiet I'm sensing something coming our way." Duo and Heero both snapped to attention. They could feel the pressure too. It was so strong that Duo was having a hard time standing. He took a deep breath to try and calm his sudden fit of nerves. "I think it's near Duo." 

"_Aw, shit_." Duo's brain screamed at him as he steeled his body for fighting. He saw the small hollow materialize on the small dirt path before him. Stepping out onto the path way with a confident smirk, that belied his true feelings inside of himself, Duo confronted the hollow. 

"Heya. How's everything?" Heero slammed his forehead onto the rough surface of the tree next to him as he heard Duo's repartee with the hollow. Why was he being so show-offy? All he had to do was use a simple demon art, then cut it with his zanpakutou. That was _it_, nothing more, nothing less. "Nice weather we're having. Yeah, you know ... I've been waiting right there," Duo pointed to the small spot behind the bushes where he had been for the better part of the day. "Yes, there ... for the whole fucking day. And I am tired. What the hell took you so long. Aren't you supposed to be a dummy hollow? Oh I guess you really are. Since it took you this long to get here." 

"Duo kill the damn thing!" Heero hissed over the radio. 

Duo pulled his zanpakutou out, and pointed the tip at the hollow. "Sorry to have to say _good-bye_ so soon." With one quick movement, the hollow vanished and the area was calm again; however, the near crushing spiritual force was still present. 

"Trowa, do you feel that?" Heero asked quietly, his head trying desperately to figure out why there was such a strong force in the area. 

"Yes, I do, but I think we should head back to the meeting point before anything happens. We may be qualified to be shinigami, but we aren't ready to face anything greater than a level one hollow. The group returned to their meeting point and checked in with the commanding shinigami. 

Heero and Duo returned to their apartment to while away the hours together, at least until the grades were announced. Heero looked at Duo, who had sprawled out on their unmade bed. There had been an attempt on Heero's part that morning to make the bed, but somehow Duo's mouth had found ways to make him completely forget about straightening the room. 

"What's the grin for?" Duo lifted his arm from where it lay across his face, shielding his eyes from the bright afternoon sun. Heero stretched out beside him and rested his large hand on Duo's abdomen. He gently began to nibble at Duo's ear, his teeth lightly scraping against the sensitive flesh. Duo moaned softly and placed his hand over Heero's; he led the strong hand down over his throbbing groin and with a squeeze he let Heero know what he wanted. As if the way he was writhing wasn't enough of a hint to Heero. Duo was always putty in his hands, and Heero cherished this ability of his. 

Heero deftly rid Duo of his pants and smiled at the site before him. "You know why I was grinning now ... right?" 

Duo laughed a rich hardy laugh that filled Heero's senses. "I was hoping this was why." Duo leaned up into Heero and kissed him thoroughly. As the two kissed, they both shoved their unwanted clothing off of one another until they were gloriously naked. 

"I love you, Duo." Heero breathed into Duo's open mouth. The play advanced quickly into a hunger that ravished both. After the passion passed, the two men collapsed onto the bed, Heero's arms still tightly around Duo's body. In the past few years, the two had grown considerably. Duo was no longer the gangly youth, but was now slowly becoming a broad shouldered and strong looking male. Heero smiled to himself as he thought about how much he loved Duo's beauty, and how with each passing month he was becoming more beautiful. Heero on the other hand, was gaining a true warrior's body. Broad shoulders and slim hips, he was built for power and fighting. The two made a handsome couple, and in the months which they had been training for the entrance exams, many people had commented as such. 

Heero had always been surprised that the members of the different gotei were so open and didn't mind two men living together in a romantic manner. He had then found out that there were more than one other couple like themselves which held high-ranking positions within the thirteen gotei. Heero knew then that it was out of respect for their superiors that no one ever dared to breathe a word against their life-style choice. Not that it would have mattered anyway, Heero would never give up his Duo just because someone didn't feel comfortable with two men being in love with one another. 

A few hours later a loud knock intruded into the quiet moment between the two lovers. With an angry grunt, Heero rolled out of bed and pulled on his clothes. Another knock came as he reached the door and threw it open. Trowa was standing in the doorway, a sheepish look on his face, now that he saw Heero's rumpled appearance. "Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you, but the final results for the exams are in. I wanted to be the first to congratulate the seventh and ninth seated members of the eleventh gotei." 

Duo jumped out of bed, unmindful of his nakedness. "Seventh and ninth! Who got what?" 

Heero quickly stepped in front of Duo to hide his body. "Duo, you're naked. Go put on some clothes." 

"Oh," Duo looked down and realized that he was in fact naked. He laughed and turned to head into the bedroom to put on his clothes. 

"So? Who got which seat?" 

"You got ninth." 

"Huh?" Heero was genuinely surprised. "You mean that Duo -- he ... beat me?" 

"Yes." 

Heero's grin was half pride and half annoyance. Never had he ever dreamed that Duo would actually surpass him in an exam, but there it was, Duo had beat him and had received a higher seating than him. He didn't really care, except that his male pride did take a small bruising. 

"The two of you are to report for training in two days. Enjoy your last day of freedom." Trowa turned to leave the apartment, but Heero stopped him. 

"What guard did you get into?" 

"The same one as Quatre. The sixth." Heero smiled and said good-bye to Trowa. As he was shutting the door, Duo reentered the main room of their apartment. 

"Aw, man. I missed him?" 

"Yes." 

"I didn't hear who got which seat. Of course I think I can guess. You got seventh and I got ninth." 

"No." Heero stated simply as he walked toward the small kitchen / dining area. 

"'_No_' You mean ...?" Duo stared at Heero's back as the truth sunk into his mind. He had beaten Heero. For the first time in his life, he had actually beaten Heero. With a loud '_whoop_' Duo began to dance around the room, while chanting, "I beat you, I beat you." 

"You don't have to rub it in." Heero chuckled as he began to fix dinner for the two of them. 

-----

Two days passed quickly for Duo and Heero, and soon they found themselves waiting to be introduced to their instructors. These instructors where higher seated members of the gotei, and would shadow them until they were ready to be assigned to either a small unit within the squad or given Earth-bound observation posts. After waiting for an hour, the door to the small room finally slid open. 

"Ah, boys, it's good to see you again." Aya smiled gently as she closed the door behind her. "I've been assigned to you Heero. I'm going to be your instructor. Well, that's just a title -- basically I just watch after you and help you get settled within the eleventh." 

Heero grunted affirmatively and stood. He smiled over his shoulder at Duo and then followed Aya out of the room. Duo laid back onto the tatami mat and stared at the ceiling. He was curious as to who his instructor was going to be. Personally he hoped that it would be someone that wouldn't get in his way, but he didn't feel that lucky. After a short wait, the door slid open again. "Duo Maxwell?" A small statured girl stood with a clipboard in her small hands. "Are you Duo-kun?" 

"Yes." Duo sat up, a bright welcoming smiled lit up his face. She was cute, and looked like a kind and gentle girl. Duo thought that maybe his luck was looking up for him today. 

"Will you come with me please?" Duo followed her out of the room and down a few flights of stairs which led to the street. "Um ... I think it was this way." The girl mumbled to herself. She looked a little confused and Duo was starting to wonder where they were going. 

"Um, can I ask you a question?" 

The girl continued to look down the countless side-streets that the two passed. "Yes." 

"Are you my instructor?" As Duo asked his question, the girl's face lit up with a grin. 

"There he is!" She pointed to a guy who was pacing back and forth. The man appeared to be talking to himself. He held one arm around his chest and the other's elbow was propped upon it, so that he could pull thoughtfully at his short but scraggily beard. "_That's_ your instructor. Third seat Jackson O'Connell." 

"That's _him_!" Duo's voice cracked as he watched the man have an entire conversation with himself. His shoulders slumped as he realized that he wasn't the least bit lucky. "My instructor's insane." Duo grumbled under his breath. 

"Oh -- some say he is, but I think he's a genius." The girl's eyes were bright with respect and hero worship as she gazed at Mr. Jackson O'Connell. 

"A genius, huh?" Duo wasn't so sure about that. The man had an insane air about him, plus he was talking to himself. Duo approached apprehensively. "If I die, Lord, please at least let me see Heero one last time." 

"AAAAh! Duo-kun!" Jackson scooped up the young man in a fierce bear hug. "I've been waiting for you!So what first?Huh?Maybe lunch?" The man spoke very quickly and his sentences ran together. Their was a slight lilt to his voice that made it seem as if Jackson was actually singing instead of speaking. 

"Um. Lunch sounds ... good." 

"Excellent! Excellent!Let's go my boy!" Jackson grabbed onto Duo's hand and dragged him along to outside of the Seireitei. They found a clearing near a stream and Jackson pulled out from within his kimono a picnic blanket. "Wait here!" Jackson ran off back in the direction from which they had come. 

"He's an odd one." Duo sat down on the blanket and waited. After a while, Jackson returned with a basket overflowing with food. 

"My wife fixed this." He stated proudly. "Never was there as good a cook as my wife." Jackson set the basket down, and the scent of the food drifted into Duo's nostrils making his mouth water uncontrollably. "See, see -- you're drooling! I restmycase." 

With a soft chuckle, Duo began to grab food out of the basket. He devoured over half of the food by himself. Jackson was right, there was no better cook than his wife; the food was absolutely delicious, and filling. Duo leaned back on his hands and sighed. His stomach was so full that he was beginning to feel sleepy. 

"Now, we spar!" Jackson yanked Duo up into a standing position." 

"Huh?" Duo asked a little disoriented from the effects of the food. "We're what?" 

"Going to spar. I want to see how much you know." 

"O-okay." Duo drew his zanpakutou. "Moeru Seikousen!" Seikousen glowed brightly and then transformed into the brilliant white blade, the first restraint seal was broken. 

"Aah, I see you've learned shikai. Impressive." Jackson unsheathed his own zanpakutou. "I'm afraid though that you might want to return it to its first stage.We're not allowed to even release shikai inside of Soul Society unless there is a necessity for it." 

"Oh. --" Duo eased his power down a notch and mumbled to his zanpakutou that it needed to be sealed once again. The blade returned to its previous form and Duo grinned sheepishly. He had known that he wasn't supposed to release his zanpakutou inside of Soul Society, but due to his sleepy state he fell into habit from his training. "Sorry about that." 

"It's okay." Jackson smiled and then charged at Duo. He tested every reaction Duo had, every movement Duo could make, and was very impressed by his skill. "You're an excellent swordsman.I stand pleasantly impressed." 

"Gee. Thanks." Duo felt a little awkward under the praise of his instructor. He was starting to think that maybe his initial impression of Jackson had been wrong. Possibly this man wasn't crazy, but just a little on the odd side. Then the man proved him wrong. 

"I've got a such a pretty little pupil.Don't you think?Why yes, his hair is a bit long, but I think I can fix that.Nonononono.I'll take care of it." With a wicked grin Jackson turned to face Duo. Again, he reached inside his kimono and pulled something out. With a sickening horror, Duo realized that it was a pair of scissors. "Come here little one!I have to cut that mane of yours, or you'll never be able to fight without eating hair!" With a shriek, Duo began to run away from Jackson. 

"This man's insane someone hellllllllp meeeeeeeee!" Duo screamed as he ran through the streets of the Seireitei. Onlookers gawked openly at the scene of a young long haired shinigami being chased by a middle-aged (yet good looking) sloppy haired shinigami. Jackson never had held a very convincing appearance as far as his sanity was concerned. He tended to walk around talking to something or someone invisible, his short red hair was always askew, and his thick black rimmed glasses matched the mess of his hair. 

"I wonder if he'll catch him?" Someone in the gathering crowd laughed as the group watched Duo being chased. 

"Jackson!" Both boys stopped causing a large swirl of dust to fly around them. A beautiful woman with long light brown hair stood in the doorway to an apartment building. "What _**are**_ you doing to that poor boy!" 

"Rhiannen, I -- I was just teasing him." Rhiannen raised an elegant eyebrow at her husband. "Sorry, my love.I'll leave him alone." 

"So this is your new apprentice?" Rhiannen turned deep blue eyes to Duo. She appeared to inspect his worth with just that one glance. "He looks to be a good boy. Please, don't mind my husband. He just likes to be -- well eccentric. He says it keeps people on their toes." 

Duo smiled and nodded. "Well, Duo-kun.It's getting late, so you should go on home ... but meet me early in the morning and you can go on patrol with me." 

"Yes, sir. I'll see ya tomorrow!" Duo ran off in the direction of home. He could hear the couple arguing as he left them behind. 

-----

Heero began to smirk as the two sat down for dinner that night. "What's so funny?" Duo demanded. He was still slightly irritated from finding out that Heero's day had been quite productive and blessedly free from insane people. 

"You and Jackson. I heard quite a lot about him from some of the other shinigami that I spoke to today. You've got your work cut out." Heero cut off a slice of meat from his steak and bit happily into the juicy piece. 

"Heero, he came af-ter--me--with--**sci-ssors**. He was going to cut off my hair!" Duo's voice broke as he spoke. The images of his hair falling down to the ground still made him squirm with fear. 

"I know how much you love your hair, Duo. The fact is though that he didn't cut it. He's just a strange guy." 

Duo sighed and hung his head in agony. "I can't believe I got stuck with _him_. Why couldn't I have gotten someone like Akimori?" 

"Sorry." 

"I hate it when you only say one word." Duo angrily began to shove his bites of steak into his mouth. Heero just watched with a glint of humor in his eyes. "That's right ..." Duo spoke with a mouthful of steak. "You sit there and laugh. You won't be laughing later." A smirk lit up Duo's eyes as he downed his glass of milk. "Just wait. You thought that _you_ tortured me the other day ..." 

Duo was nestled against Heero's chest sleeping happily an hour later. Heero lovingly stroked Duo's thick mane of hair and thought about how happy and content he was now. He knew in his heart that as long as he trusted Duo and Duo trusted him, nothing could break their bond. Nothing. 

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._

Seitreitei this is the area where the shinigami live and work. It's the innermost area of Soul Society. (I'm not sure if it's a long e at the end or not, so it may be spelled wrong. My apologies.) 


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Notes_: Sorry about the week long delay. I needed a small break because of hectic things in life (aka school). So, here it is chapter eleven. Oh, I changed the way Jackson speaks in this chapter because my Beta reader said that the other way did things to her brain. I've removed the punctuation marks, so his sentences are now run-on sentences. Hopefully it reads more easily. Also I didn't properly introduce Jackson, he is losely based off of a more insane version of my own father. I ran out of Gundam Wing male characters, and needed an important male figure for this part of the story, so I used an original character. 

**Warnings**: Slight sexual innuendoes 

Status: COMPLETE 

-----

Duo yawned loudly; the presentation had been going on too long for his mind to stay focused. "Duo!" Heero snapped quietly. Groggily Duo sat up straight in his chair and frowned at Heero. "This is our first mission, I don't think you should be napping." 

"Yeah, yeah. I know. It's just I had no idea that our captain was so long winded." Duo folded his arms across his chest and began to squirm. 

"Duo." Heero yet again called him down. 

"Sorry." Duo hissed. He wasn't in the best of moods. He and Heero had been right in the middle of playing, when Akimori had pounded on their door demanding that they get up and come to the squad meeting. Duo had to cure his frustrations by himself because mister perfect had jumped at the command. Jackson was sitting beside Duo, and was stone still. Duo was beginning to wonder if he was still alive. 

Finally, the briefing concluded and Heero, Duo, Jackson, and Aya were sent on their first mission together as a group. According to the eleventh's captain and vice captain, there was a hollow located in downtown Osaka and was wreaking havoc with the tourists. They had stated that it was a low class hollow and so it was perfect for Heero and Duo to cut their teeth on. The group of four decided to materialize on one of the rooftops late that night, so that there would be less chance of people being involved. Even if it was Osaka, there were fewer people on the streets at that time than during the day. It had been agreed to locate the hollow and destroy it immediately. There was to be no dallying on this mission. 

Luckily for the group, the hollow was attracted to their spiritual energy and showed himself on the same rooftop. Aya looked at Heero and Duo. "Well, it's all yours." 

"Huh? I thought we were here to observe." Duo looked to Jackson for a more sane answer. It wasn't as if he and Heero couldn't handle the hollow, it was just that this was their first _real_ fight. 

"Duo, Akimori is right You should try to handle this yourselves It'll be a good learning experience." Crazy as usual, Duo thought. Heero had already began to engage the hollow when Duo turned to face the spirit. 

Duo watched with pride and annoyance, as Heero swiftly used a demon art to stun the hollow, and then cut through his mask. The hollow vanished with an anguished cry and then Heero turned to smirk at Duo. "Showoff!" Duo's day just kept getting worse. 

Heero walked over to Duo and rested his hand on Duo's shoulder. "Sorry. You were so busy talking, that I thought I'd go ahead and send the hollow." 

"I'm not talking to you anymore today." Duo backed up a few spaces and drew his zanpakutou. He mumbled the words to open the gate to Soul Society and then with a frown stepped through the opening. 

"What's wrong with him?" Aya asked curious. 

"Me." Heero sulked through the opening after Duo, and then was followed by Akimori and Jackson. 

As soon as Heero and Duo got home, Duo locked himself in their bedroom. With a sigh, Heero pleaded with Duo to come out, but there was no response. Heero decided to allow him time to calm down before he tried again. Two hours later, there was still silence from the other side. 

Duo's self imprisonment continued until late that evening when Heero couldn't take it anymore. He walked up to the door and pounded on it. "Duo! I'm coming in." With a swift kick, Heero busted in the door and found Duo hiding under the covers. 

"Why'd you bust down the door? Now we don't have a bedroom door -- Heero." Duo flung the covers aside and stalked up to Heero. 

"You wouldn't talk to me." 

"I know ... but Heero I had a rough day. I -- fell asleep." Heero began to chuckle softly. He should have known that was why Duo hadn't answered him; after all, Duo did sleep like the dead. "Ya know, I'm kinda hungry." 

Heero raised his eyebrow. "Hungry? Sorry, I gave the rest of the food to Quatre and Trowa." 

"Not for that silly. We never finished this morning ... I want to finish now." Duo pulled Heero into a searing kiss which warmed him all the way to his toes. 

"I think I can help you with that." Heero mumbled against Duo's lips. 

-----

Duo walked up to the grassy hill where he always met Jackson on their training days. "Duo-kun Come on up here I've got sake!" Jackson held the bottle up in the air a little shakily, spilling some of the alcohol in the process. "Oops." He stared a little puzzled at the small puddle of sake on the ground; his expression that of a small child's. 

Duo walked up to Jackson and took the bottle from him. "I'll pour." 

"How's Heero-kun?" Jackson hiccuped immediately after his sentence causing him to fall over in a fit of laughter. Duo just shook his head and sighed; his mentor couldn't hold his liquor if his life depended on it. 

"He's fine. He was sleeping when I left." 

"Aah ... sounds like a good night." Jackson stared out over the view before them. The hill overlooked all of the Seireitei, which was why this was his favorite spot. "I love this place I love what we do for people We help them Duo-kun We truly do Why ... if it weren't for us everyone would've died from hollows." Jackson sipped on his small cup of sake and chuckled softly. "You know there are those who don't agree with what we do." 

"Yes, I know -- the Quincies." 

"Very good m'boy But there are some _inside_ as well." 

Duo smiled at Jackson, he was concerned for the man. He hadn't quite been himself lately. Duo had tried to pry some sort of information out of Jackson, but the stubborn man always became suspiciously closed mouth and would state that everything was just fine. "I'm not sure what you're talking about." Duo mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that Jackson's inebriated state would cause him to reveal something about what had been troubling him. 

"Yes there are those of us who want change Who think we're doing the wrong thing by helping these lost spirits -- hollows -- yes they think they should die and not be allowed into Soul Society They should be sent to hell according to these people." 

"But a spirit can't help it if we get to them to late and they turn. It's not as if they asked for it." 

Jackson lifted his hand into the air and lost his balance. Duo righted him, and then Jackson lifted his hand more slowly. He pointed his finger in order to make certain that Duo understood everything that he was told. "There are those that do ask Those who want to remain in the mortal world They don't want our help." 

"I thought that was because they didn't realize many times that they were spirits." 

"They know according to these people But I don't agree with them Everyone should have a fighting chance for salvation They should not be condemned because they became an evil spirit That's what I think And someone's trying to make us change our minds Damn politics getting into our job It shouldn't be like that." Jackson's jaw began to work angrily as he clinched his teeth together. 

"Who told you this?" Duo glanced around him, praying that there was no one else listening. To his relief, they were alone on the hilltop. 

Jackson took a deep steadying breath before he turned to look Duo in the eyes. "Our dear sweet captain." 

"Does he buy into it?" 

"Not that I know of -- Duo-kun," Jackson placed his hands on Duo's shoulders, and held him in as strong a grip as he could muster under his drunken haze. "Do **not** share this with anyone Under any circumstances Do you understand me? -- Not even Heero-kun." 

Duo nodded in agreement slowly, but was puzzled as to why he couldn't tell Heero. However, if Jackson said that he couldn't tell anyone, then he would remain silent on this subject. Duo seriously doubted that Jackson would even remember telling him this once his alcohol wore off. "Jackson, if we're going to train today, we'd best go now. -- So you can walk off your buzz." 

Jackson attempted to pat Duo on the shoulder, but missed entirely, nearly knocking himself to the ground. "Good idea Duo-kun You're really smart You'll be captain soon." 

"Heero said the same thing to me the other day, but somehow I think that Heero will be captain before I am." 

"Don't put yourself down like that You're every bit as good as he is." 

"Thanks." 

-----

Heero stood still in the alleyway just as Aya had instructed. She was attempting to force the hollow into the alley so that Heero could perform a surprise attack. After some chasing on Aya's part, the hollow finally turned down the alley, where Heero was prepared to pounce. The hollow was dealt with quickness and ease; with a strong swelling of pride in his chest for his work, Heero watched as the spirit floated up to into the heavens. 

"Enjoy your work, huh?" Akimori walked over to Heero, a warm smile on her face as she gazed at her pupil. 

"Yes, I do. I feel good helping these spirits." 

"Come now ... there's more to it than that. You enjoy the thrill of the hunt. I can see it in your eyes when we go for patrol." Aya's brown eyes sparkled at Heero as he turned to look at his superior. 

"I do enjoy that. I won't lie about it -- it's fun chasing the hollows down and then taking care of them." 

"That's good, because I feel that I've taught you all that I can. You're an excellent shinigami, and I feel that you should be nominated for the captain's position." 

Heero was shocked to hear Akimori propose such a thing; it had only been six months since he had become a member of the eleventh gotei, and he had just recently become completely comfortable with releasing his zanpakutou in its first level. "Why do you say that? I can't materialize my zanpakutou's spirit. How can I achieve bankai if I can't do that?" 

"I'll help." Aya smirked and draped her arm across Heero's broad shoulders. The unwanted touch caused Heero to tense, but Aya seemed to be oblivious to his reaction. "I know some people who once helped someone in another time achieve bankai in only three days." 

"That's a myth, Akimori." 

"_A...ya_." She stressed, obviously aggravated with Heero's unwillingness to call her by her given name. "Look, it may be a myth, but I think I've found a way to help you. Let me try? Please?" 

"I'm ... not sure." 

"Look, I'll be training too. You didn't think that I'd help you, and not try to get the position myself?" 

"Did the captain say that he was retiring?" 

"Yes. He said that anyone who reaches bankai and can best him in a match -- will be our new captain. Of course this will all be happening three months from now." Aya held her zanpakutou out and opened the rift to reenter Soul Society. The two stepped through and then walked back to the eleventh's headquarters. "So, Heero, before you run back to your boy-toy ... tell me, are you in or out?" 

Heero thought about what Aya had offered him. It was a chance to actually be the head of the eleventh, but did he really want that? Being captain meant that Heero would most likely would be unable to patrol on Earth, but it was also full of prestige. Heero didn't care about the honors or accolades he would receive or not receive as captain, but it did present itself as an interesting challenge. "I'll do it." 

"Excellent. I'll meet you outside of the eleventh headquarters tomorrow at six in the morning." 

"Understood." 

Warm yellows and reds spilled out across the morning sky as Heero waited for Aya. He arrived at the meeting spot early so that he could spend some time alone. Duo had been acting somewhat distant the night before, and it had seemed as if he had something on his mind; however, Duo had assured Heero that everything was fine. Duo's behavior wasn't the only weight on Heero's mind this morning, he was also thinking about several rumors he had heard recently. The one which stood out in his mind concerned the hollows, one in particular. There was a rumor that stated new evidence pointed to a new type of hollow which was formed from a spirit almost immediately after death. It was said that these spirits had chosen to become hollows. 

Heero knew that it was just a rumor, and he didn't really understand why it was a problem. If it were in fact an evil spirit, the spirit would be sent into hell for what he had done on Earth. He sighed heavily and glanced around to see if Akimori was nearby. He spotted her walking toward him a bright smile lighting her face. "Are you ready to begin training, Heero-kun?" 

"Yes." 

"Excellent. Follow me." Aya led Heero away into the woods so that they might be alone and train without any interruptions. 

-----

Three weeks passed, Duo had heard nothing about what Jackson had told him. He was beginning to think that it was just the ramblings of a drunken man. Although, in another bout of intoxication, Jackson had blurted out several names connected to the movement, but there again, they could have only been ramblings. Duo wasn't sure what to do. He tried to ignore it, but he had this intense feeling like something really was happening. He could tell that some of the shinigami were becoming restless and concerned with the mortals on Earth, but no one had any viable evidence that there was in fact an organized movement within the shinigami ranks. 

Duo was lying in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking about what might happen and what might not. It was his day off, and Heero had left earlier that morning for training. He was seriously considering just staying in bed, when a loud pounding sounded on the front door. Duo slipped his clothes on and moved to open the door. Jackson was standing on the other side, a panicked expression creasing his young face. "What's wrong?" 

"Duo-kun ... no, it was wrong of me to come here." Jackson looked around at the small two room apartment, his sea blue eyes glazed over with worry. 

Duo gently grabbed his mentor's arms and turned Jackson to face him. "Jackson, tell me what's wrong." 

"It's Laurie, I was told you knew her." Duo's heart leaped into his throat, the look on Jackson's face scared him. "She's missing They can't find her anywhere." 

"They? They who?" 

"Duo-kun, Sit I'm about to tell you something that I swore not to, but I fear that I've already told you too much when I was drunk." Surprised that Jackson had even remembered his drunken ramblings, Duo slowly sat down at the small table and awaited Jackson's information. He hadn't kept up with Laurie; the last thing he had heard was that she had decided against joining any of the gotei, and was instead going back to her family's home in the second district. Jackson began, but he was no longer speaking quickly as he normally did; instead his words were even and pronounced so that Duo would not miss one bit of information. "Duo-kun, Laurie was working for a special division within the Center 46. She was an undercover investigator. She routed out the bad shinigami from the good, and gave orders to the other undercover agents who were members of the various gotei. I am one of them. 

"I last made contact with her three weeks ago. Then last week I was to meet with her and give her the information I had gathered on a few individuals, and she never showed. I contacted the shinigami above me, and he told me that they were going to begin an investigation into her whereabouts. However, as of this morning no one has found her." As Jackson finished, a small hell moth fluttered in through the open window. It perched upon Jackson's outstretched finger and its wings moved as he absorbed its news. "Dammit." He muttered as he stood. "I have to go." 

"Let me go too." Duo rose from his seat, but was shoved back down by Jackson's hand. 

"No. You're not to become involved in this at all. Do you understand me, son?" 

"Yes." Duo watched as Jackson left his apartment. It wasn't fair, he wanted to help; it wasn't just because Laurie was missing, but there was a prickle at the nape of his neck that told him something sinister was happening. 

Duo paced in his apartment for the next ten to fifteen minutes, and then decided to leave to help. Just as he grabbed his zanpakutou, the tinny clang of the alarm sounded. Something had happened, and Duo's stomach knotted up out of fear. He ran out of the apartment building and all the way to the meeting hall of the thirteen gotei. Once there, he shoved past other shinigami until he found his own group huddled in the far corner. They were busy speculating what the alarm was for and why they were just standing around without any orders from their captains. 

After minutes of waiting in the crowded room, Zechs Marquise captain of the sixth gotei walked in, an expression of disbelief and horror on his face. "Quiet down everyone!" His voice boomed out over the cacophony of sounds inside the room. "I have an announcement to make. A former student of the academy ... a once promising shinigami, has been found dead tonight. It appears as if Laurie Waters was killed by a hollow." 

Duo failed to hear the gasps and the speculating whispers. His mind was stuck on the image of Laurie laying dead on the ground. A strong hand startled him out of his visions, when Duo turned he found Heero standing beside him. "Heero ..." 

"Let's go home." Heero held Duo's cold hand as they wove their way through the crowd and out of the building. 

"I can't believe she's dead." Duo's eyes were glazed and he couldn't focus on where he was going. He was thankful that Heero was there for him to lean on as they walked through the deserted streets of the Seireitei. 

"I know." The remainder of the walk to their apartment was silent. Once home, Heero helped Duo into bed. He then fixed Duo a warm cup of cocoa. "Here, this'll help you relax." 

"I'm not that upset, Heero. Just stunned -- and sad." Duo sipped on the warm drink and then curled up under the covers. Heero gently tucked Duo into the bed and then crawled in himself. 

-----

Duo sat alone on top of the hill where he and Jackson had always met. He held his journal in his lap, but was not looking at it. He was looking out over Soul Society and wondering if Laurie's death had anything to do with her investigations. 

"There you are, Duo-kun." Duo turned to see Akimori standing behind him. "What's that?" She reached out to take the journal from him, but Duo slammed it shut and stood. 

"It's just my private journal. It's nothing special." 

"Oh ... well then, I came here to see how you were doing. This Laurie tragedy has everyone a little on edge. I'd imagine that someone who knew her as _well_ as you, would be more upset." 

Duo's brow creased as he answered. Aya was up to something, he could see it in her mischievous eyes. "I'm certain I'm not as upset as her family is." 

"You were close to Laurie, am I right?" Aya bent over to pick a small blue flower. 

"Yes I was, but I don't see what that has to do with anything." 

"I just wanted to express my deepest sympathies for the loss of your loved one." Aya gracefully stood on the tips of her toes so that she could place the flower in Duo's long hair. 

"She was a _friend_. Nothing more." Duo certainly didn't appreciate Aya's insinuation with her remark, but there was no proof that she was trying to be anything but sincere in her sympathies. 

"Oh. Sorry, I thought that -- I am truly sorry." Aya bowed politely and then begged to be excused. Duo stared at her as she walked away from him, wondering why she had been acting so strangely. 

Duo sat back down on the lush green grass. He had learned from his captain that a hollow had somehow broken through their defense and entered Soul Society. However, there was no evidence of the hollow, nor had anyone on patrol seen even a glitch on the hollow tracking system. With a deep sigh, Duo opened his journal open to an empty page and began writing down the events of the past few days. 

Lost in his thoughts, Duo failed to feel the first signs of a strong spirit force approaching from behind. The hollow was upon him in no time. Duo threw down his journal and unsheathed his zanpakutou. There was no question in Duo's mind that the hollow before him was the one who had murdered Laurie. 

It's laugh sounded like glass being scraped against itself. "Another tasty morsel for my belly." The hollow's mask was slightly ajar, and added to clown-like markings upon its face. The hollow's tongue eagerly licked it's nonexistent lips and moved closer to Duo. 

"Did you kill a blond shinigami recently?" 

"What if I did?" The hollow and Duo began to circle each other as if locked in a dance of death. 

Duo's soft chuckle held a dangerous tone. "I'm gonna enjoy this then." Changing stances Duo removed the first seal on Seikousen. "Moeru, Seikousen!" The next sound heard was that of steal hitting the hardness of the hollow's body. 

moeru to burn, so his call to relase shikai on seikousen is "_Burn, Seikousen_!" -- sounds better in Japanese 

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Notes_: sniff Not as sad as the next chapter though ... well the next one is more pitiful ... 

Warnings: Language (Duo's got such a filthy mouth), angst, death, minor blood and gore   
Status: COMPLETE 

-----

The alarm echoed throughout the Seireitei. There was a hollow in Soul Society. The captains gathered their members and gave strict orders to locate and destroy the hollow. Heero had been preparing for his daily training with Aya, when the alarm had sounded. "I wonder what's wrong?" Heero stared at the distant sight of the Seireitei. 

"I'm not sure. I think they can handle it though." Aya tapped her zanpakutou against Heero's in the hope that he would turn around and begin his lesson for the day. 

"I'm going." Heero sheathed his sword and began to walk away from Aya. For some reason his stomach was beginning to knot up in worry. He was terrified that something had happened to Duo, but that was ridiculous because he had the day off. Aya followed behind Heero as they traversed the road which lead to the east entrance of the Seireitei. 

"Heero, really ... we need to be training." Aya pleaded as yet another rock became lodged between her foot and sandal; however, Heero refused to slow his pace which had been steadily increasing the closer they got to the main road. It was just as they stepped from the forrest that Heero spotted the hollow and the person who was fighting him. 

Duo's forehead was bloodied and his kimono was ripped from the shoulder down to his elbow. He looked tired, but was valiantly fighting off the large hollow. "Ya want some more?" Duo taunted as he swung again at his foe. 

Aya stopped behind Heero whose hand was resting on the hilt of his zanpakutou. "Don't. He needs to fight this thing by himself. That must be the hollow which killed Laurie." Heero slowly and reluctantly dropped his arm to his side. "I see he has one of the twin zanpakutou. Life. -- Although he doesn't seem to know how to channel its power." 

"He knows. He's playing with the hollow." 

Duo smirked as his eyes raised slowly to look at the mask of his opponent. He held the sword perpendicular before him and ran his hand behind the blade. "It's time for you to die." The blade began to glow with a blinding white light. A white flame engulfed both the zanpakutou and Duo as he raised the sword above his head for a fatal blow. In one swift slash, the hollow's head was split in two and the mask cracked. 

Duo panted as he watched the hollow fade from existence. He slowly sat down on the grass and stared at the spot where it had been standing. "Damn. I thought I'd feel better." His chin began to quiver as the first tears ran slowly down his blood and sweat stained cheeks. Heero was by his side before the first tear ever fell. 

"Duo ..." Duo turned and looked at the man he loved more than life. With a sob he fell into his open arms and cried until no more tears would come forth. Heero stroked Duo's hair and just held him until the sobs ceased. 

"I'll go tell the rest of the squad." Aya stated with a hint of uncertainty in her soft voice. 

"Take your time, please." 

"I -- I will." 

When the shaking and the sobs stopped, Duo raised his face so that he could look at Heero. "I thought that I would feel happy about killing the thing that killed Laurie. I don't ... I just feel -- empty. Like her death was for nothing, and so was this hollow's. I actually feel _bad_ about killing it." 

"It would have killed you too had you not fought." 

Duo breathed in deeply. "You're right. Then what would you do without me?" He smiled at Heero, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Heero knew that Duo was going to be fine after that smile. 

"I was worried about you." 

"I know. I'm fine now. No need to worry about me -- now _you_ on the other hand ..." Duo stood and began to walk away from Heero. 

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" Heero quickly caught up with Duo and gave him a puzzled expression. 

"Nothing." Duo gently took Heero's hand in his and walked silently back to the Seireitei. 

-----

"As you know, the captain is ill. I will be taking over his duties until he gets well enough to be active captain once again." Hilde paced nervously in front of the twenty-eight members of the eleventh gotei. "I'm new to this position, but I feel confident that I can lead you well and this should be a fairly painless transition. Thank you all ... dismissed." 

Duo and Heero walked out together and back home. On their way home, Jackson ran up to them huffing violently from running. "Duo -- you -- need -- to -- come with me." 

"Why?" 

"Now, son Come along." Jackson grabbed Duo's hand and attempted to drag him. 

"I'll see you at the apartment, Heero." Heero nodded and watched Duo follow Jackson into the black night. 

"What's going on?" Duo asked once far away from Heero. 

"She's requested to meet with you." 

"_'She'_? Who?" 

"You'll find out when we get there." The two men walked along a winding path through the different buildings and mazes which made up the Seireitei. It was only after a great distance from where they started did they reach a building nestled between two of the maze walls. The building would have gone unnoticed if one didn't know what to look for. There were no windows and the door had a small cream colored handle which blended in with the walls. "This is it Be nice." Duo nodded, still baffled by what was happening. The door creaked open and Duo was shoved inside by Jackson. Once inside, it took a few moments for Duo's eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room. 

Heero sat alone in the dark apartment waiting for Duo to return from wherever it was that Jackson had dragged him. He looked around the rooms and decided that he should do some cleaning to pass the time. While he was cleaning, he found a large box filled with sketchbooks. Heero smiled proudly as he pulled one out of the box. 

Heero sat down at the kitchen table and opened the first book. Inside were drawings of people that Duo knew, and what appeared to be journal entries. Heero wasn't sure if he should read them or not, despite the fact that the box had been in plain view beside the bed. He glanced at the first entry and recognized it as just after Duo and Hilde had kissed. Before he realized what he was doing, Heero was reading through all of the journals. 

Most of the writing was about everyday things that Duo had done, but then there was the parts where he gushed over how much he loved Heero. As Heero read through them, he discovered something odd once he reached the more recent journals. Duo had begun to mark through long portions of what he had written. Beside these entries were drawings of hollows, Jackson, and Zechs. Puzzled, Heero attempted to read the parts that were crossed out, but found it impossible. Just as he was beginning the past week's writings, someone began to pound on the apartment door. 

"Heero! Duo! Come quick! -- the captain ... he ... he's ..." It was Hilde, and she sounded very upset. Heero ran out the door and followed everyone else who were also darting out of their apartments. The large group of shinigami followed their vice-captain to the gotei headquarters. 

"Heero!" Aya called out to him from inside the headquarters. She patiently waited for Heero inside the entrance. 

"What's happened?" Heero looked around and spotted the other captains standing in the orders room, talking somberly amongst each other. 

"The captain's dead. He -- committed suicide." Aya's warm brown eyes lifted to Heero's stunned expression. 

"Why? I don't understand." 

"No one's sure. We have to find out what his note said though." 

Heero nodded and walked along the corridor to the sitting room. He slid open the bamboo and rice paper doors and entered the small room. Aya followed him and gently closed the doors behind her. "I -- I didn't know him very well. I feel odd." 

"I didn't know him very well either. He knew of my skill, and I had spoken with him a few times, but -- I didn't _know_ him." 

"I need to find Duo." Heero stood and began to leave the room, but was stopped by Aya's voice. 

"Why was he not with you? A secret date?" 

Heero's jaw tensed and his hands balled into fists. "No. His mentor needed him for something." 

"Ah, but it looks like you're suspicious." 

"Aya, stop." 

"I'm sorry. You're right ... it is bad form to tease with our captain laying dead upstairs." Aya lit an incense stick and placed it in its holder. "Come back and sit again. We'll wait together for the contents of the note." Heero nodded and sat next to Aya, who leaned over against him. Heero was ready to pull away from her, when she began to cry softly. Feeling an awkward sense of need to comfort her, Heero allowed her to lean against him and cry. 

Duo felt as if his head was in a fog. Everything seemed surreal to him, as if he was walking through a dream. He stood in the entry way to the eleventh's headquarters. People pushed past him to either leave the building or enter it. Miss Peacecraft gently rested her hand on Duo's shoulder and suddenly everything came into focus. "Duo-kun? Are you alright?" 

"Yes I am. I'm fine, thank you." Relena nodded and walked into the orders room. "Wonder where Heero is." Duo looked around unable to locate Heero. The last room he hadn't checked was the sitting room. 

Aya was still leaning against Heero when the doors slid open. "Duo!" Heero was happy to see him, to know that he was well. 

"Heero." Duo's terse tone sent a chill into the air. 

Heero quickly pushed Aya away and stood. "Duo -- she ... she was crying. It's not--" 

"I _know_ Heero. You don't have to stumble through an apology." Duo's foul mood was not lost on Heero; however, he was at a loss to know what was causing Duo's temper. 

"What's wrong then?" 

"Nothing." Duo tossed a quick glare in Aya's direction and then turned to leave the room. Heero followed close behind Duo, knowing that he could speak more openly once back at their apartment, but for now, he would stay quiet and allow Duo to smolder over whatever it was that was bothering him. 

Hilde called everyone into the orders room. "Please everyone quiet down! We have the captain's suicide note." 

Zechs nodded to Hilde and she stepped aside so that the captain of all the gotei could speak. "I'm going to give everyone a brief overview of his note. I don't want to sadden anyone any more than they already are. Suffice to say, the captain killed himself because he felt as if he was of no use to you anymore. He felt as though his illness was getting the better of him, and he wasn't performing properly as your captain." 

"What are we going to do without a captain?" A voice squeaked from amidst the crowd. 

"I'm getting to that. He has named his successor inside of the note. I'm puzzled by his choice, but it was his request. You're new captain is -- Akimori Aya." 

Both Duo and Heero turned to stare at Aya, surprise present on their faces; Aya's eyes were rounded with surprise also. "Me?" She asked as she moved forward through the crowd. 

"Yes, Akimori-san. You." 

"Why me?" Aya had to tilt her head back to look up into Zechs's face. 

"He wrote that he has a lot of faith in your abilities and that you have recently reached bankai. I was not aware of that." 

"Yes, I have. If you need a witness -- then ask Heero Yuy." All eyes turned to Heero who was feeling a little uncomfortable from the attention. 

"Yes, I was there when she reached bankai." Satisfied with Heero's response, Zechs looked down at Aya. 

"Then you are the new captain of the eleventh gotei. So note it in the record books. Everyone please return to your homes and posts." Zechs exchanged one last questioning look with Aya before he left the building. 

Aya walked over to Heero and Duo with a barely hidden smile on her face. "Shall we go drink to the dead?" 

Duo laughed humorlessly at Aya's suggestion. "Heero and I have early patrol -- if you would look at the assignment roster then you'd know that. We need to get to bed." Placing his hand over Heero's, Duo led him away from Aya. He could feel the heat of her glare on his back, but he wasn't concerned much over her displeasure. Duo needed to get Heero away from her and that place so they could talk. 

"Duo, what's wrong?" Heero asked quietly once they were in their apartment. 

"I --" Duo looked around, troubled by something warring within him. Heero was growing more and more concerned by the minute for his love. He wasn't sure what it was that was troubling Duo so much, nor was he sure that Duo would be willing to share. "I'm fine. Just, don't tell anyone any more than you ... need ... to ..." Duo's voice trailed off as he saw his journals spread on the kitchen table. "Did you read those?" 

Heero looked at them with a guilty conscience. "Yes. I-I found them while I was cleaning, and I was _only_ looking at the pictures Duo ... but then I started reading the entries. I'm so sorry." 

Duo's sigh filled the room. "It's alright. No harm done -- you already knew most of this." 

"I'm sorry." Heero watched as Duo walked into the bedroom. He exited carrying his small wooden wash tub with his bathing things inside. 

"I'm going to go and take a bath. I'll be back in a bit." Heero let Duo leave without saying anything else to him. He was concerned about Duo's emotional behavior, but thought it best to just go on and warm the bed than to go after him. Heero knew that when Duo was ready to open up, he would. 

-----

Duo sat on the same hill that he sat on quite often now. His mind was racing with things which he had been told in that secret meeting. Things which he longed to tell Heero, but dared not to because that would involve him. Involving Heero was the last thing that Duo wanted. 

The days since the captain's suicide had been a rough transition. Hilde had been furious that the captain, who had known her much better than Aya and had even personally trained her, had passed her over for someone else. Hilde was very good at letting it be known that she was not happy with the fact that she was still only vice-captain. Many of the shinigami found her pouting act to be bratty and unnecessary. Hilde didn't much care. 

As for Heero, he had been taken under Akimori's protective wing and was still being trained by her. He and Duo had been split up, and Duo wasn't entirely certain if logic was behind that decision or if it was Aya's lust for Heero. Duo wasn't concerned that Heero would cheat, but he was worried about Aya's roaming hands. His journal now held many drawings of Aya in various hideous expressions. If one were to find his journal now, they would know that Duo held a strong animosity for Aya. Jackson had been the only one to whom Duo had dared to voice his distaste over their new captain. 

"Just be patient Everything will work out -- you'll see." Those had been Jackson's words. They didn't do much to comfort Duo. 

"Duo ..." Duo turned his head to see Jackson smiling down at him. "How are you lad?" 

"Could be better. I didn't want to be a part of this, you know." 

Jackson sat down and pulled out a wood pipe. He carefully packed the bowl with a sweet smelling tobacco blend and placed in his mouth. "I know, I didn't want you to be a part of it either. But here we are -- both spies." 

"Spies ... I feel more like a rat." 

Jackson chewed thoughtfully on the end of the pipe before lighting it. "We are rats. You know why I talk the way I do?" 

"You're trying to throw everyone off the scent?" 

Jackson laughed softly. "Not that good of a disguise when you really think about it ... is it?" 

"No." 

"Do you want a puff? It'll relax you." Jackson offered his pipe to Duo, who just stared at it as if it were some hideous creature. 

"Only if you want me to get sick on you." Duo rolled his eyes and then laid back in the cool grass. "Why me? She didn't give me any real reason. Just that I '_know too much_.'" 

"Because you're insightful ... and although Heero would follow orders to the letter, he'd not stop and think things through the way you would. You see ... your street smarts landed you the spot." 

"Yay." Jackson ignored Duo's sarcasm and took a deep puff on his pipe. "How long have you been doing this _spy_ thing?" 

"About ten years now. Not as long as some others." 

"Hmm ... how long has she been running this?" 

"Her father started it ... to keep his eye on the shinigami. He feared another uprising might take place. Although -- that uprising was quite different from what we may be facing now. Only five members bought into _his_ propaganda. This time we're looking at many more numbers." 

"So you believe that old fairy tale too?" 

"You mean about the Arancar? Yes." Duo began to laugh. "Hey! Don't laugh at an old man's beliefs. Show some manners young man." 

Duo tried to stop laughing long enough to speak. "I'm sorry. I can't help it ... that story was just so -- fantastic, and I grew up hearing it as a bedtime story. That's all." 

"It happened, boy. I swear to you it did. Now, I believe we need to do some training ... do we not?" 

"Yes sir." Duo leaped to his feet and picked up his zanpakutou. 

-----

Duo slipped out from under Heero's protective embrace and quietly put on some pants. He tied the sash which held them around his hips and picked up his sketchbook. For some reason, Duo had been restless all night, and the several hours of playing with Heero had failed to exhaust him to the point of passing out asleep. He walked outside and looked around at the silent streets. Duo decided to perch upon the roof of the maze wall and sketch some. 

Duo leapt onto the roof and sat cross legged. He was there for some time when a noise startled him. "Duo ..." A whisper echoed from beneath the eaves of the roof. Duo dropped down onto the ground and found Jackson pressed against the wall. 

"Jac--" Duo began loudly, but was cut off by an angry _shh_ from Jackson. "What are you doing here?" Duo whispered. 

"Take this." Jackson pressed folded papers into Duo's hand. "Don't read them, don't show them to anyone. Place them in your journal and hide that journal. Remember ... do **not** let anyone see them." 

"I -- I won't. What are they?" 

"Don't ask stupid questions boy ... just do as you're told. If I can -- in five days time I'll tell you what to do with them. But do _**not**_ under _any_ circumstances look at them. Do you understand?" 

"Yes, sir." Jackson looked around and then slipped away down the street. Duo looked at the folded papers and had a strong urge to open them and look, but fought back his desire. He carefully placed the papers within the sketchbook and returned to his apartment. Duo slipped the book under the dresser and then slipped back into bed with Heero; however, no matter how hard he tried, Duo couldn't fall asleep. He was worried about Jackson, and was curious as to what the contents of the papers were. 

The next morning Duo's eyes were bloodshot and he felt as though his body were moving through sludge. "I'm so tired ..." He yawned loudly as he made his way through the streets which led to Jackson's home. Duo walked up to the door and noted an odd odor in the air. Shrugging it off, he began to pound on the door. "Jackson ...!" A loud yawn followed his yell. There was no answer. Duo tried several more times to get a response, but there was still no noise from inside. Curious, he jiggled the doorknob and found it unlocked. With a gentle push, the door swung open and Duo was sickened by the sight which welcomed him. 

Rhiannen's body was laying broken on the floor, a thick red pool of blood surrounding her. She was reaching to where her husband sat against the wall, a large gaping cut in his abdomen. Duo's mouth opened in a scream, but no sound came forth. He turned around and leaned against the wall for support. His eyes began to burn from the tears flooding down his face. Those two bodies in there, once filled with so much life, had become the father and mother he had never known. 

Duo felt his body began to wretch and he watched as if from a place outside himself as he lost the contents of his stomach on the ground. A familiar voice called out to him, obviously distressed by Duo's state, but Duo was unable to answer the voice. 

Trowa ran up to Duo as soon as he saw him double over and throw-up. "Duo! What's wrong!" Duo's eyes were glazed over and tears were still streaming down his face. Trowa could smell the metallic scent of blood from his position outside the door. There was no need to look inside, yet another murder had occurred. He cradled Duo in his arms as he yelled for someone to fetch Marquise. "Quatre, go get Heero. He should be on border patrol today." Quatre had been across the street, but when Trowa had yelled for Zechs, he had run up to him to see what was wrong. 

"I'll go get him." Quatre prayed quietly as he ran through the streets to the border of the Seireitei that everything was alright. He spotted Heero leaning against the wall looking completely bored. "Heero-kun!" 

Heero looked up when he heard Quatre's voice; he was happy until he saw the look on the young man's face. "What's wrong? Is it Duo?" 

Quatre frowned at the hint of worry in Heero's voice. "Yes and no. His friends ... the O'Connell's -- they're dead." 

"What?" Heero shoved past Quatre and began to run back to Duo. When he arrived at Jackson's home, he found Duo sitting against the outside wall of the house, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. "Duo?" Duo looked up at Heero, his face streaked with tears. The moment he saw Heero, he launched into another fit of crying. Heero sat down next to him and held him tightly. "Shh ... I've got you, just let it out." Heero fought back his own tears for the old man and his wife. He may not have known them well, but he knew how much Duo had cared for them. 

"I'm going to find who did this ..." Duo mumbled into Heero's neck. 

"Duo ... why don't you leave that to Marquise." Heero felt Duo's body stiffen, but then he relaxed and sighed. 

"I want to go home." Heero helped Duo to his feet and then home. 

-----

Duo was still curled up asleep when Heero left for patrol. Four days had passed since Duo had found the O'Connells' bodies, and he had not left his side of the bed. Heero wanted to help him, to make him smile again, but he knew that Duo just needed time. As much as Heero wanted Duo to be like his old self, only time could bring about that change. 

Heero walked into the orders room and walked up to the large desk which dominated the far wall. In the assignment ledger was a note next to his name. Heero read the small script underneath his daily assignment; it was from Aya, she was requesting a private meeting with him. Knowing that he couldn't avoid the meeting since she was now captain, Heero sighed and walked off in the direction of her office. 

Aya was gazing out the large window behind her desk when Heero entered the room. Heero cleared his throat to gain her attention. "Ah, Heero. How are you?" Captain Akimori's eyes glowed brightly as she motioned for Heero to sit. 

Heero remained standing as he answered his superior. "I'm fine. What was it that you needed to discuss with me?" 

"Oh. Well, I have a special assignment for you -- but first I wanted to ask you a question. Do you ... do you trust me?" 

Puzzled by her question, Heero tried to rationalize it, but failed to do so. Was this all she had wanted from him? "As my captain -- I do. I can understand why you were hand picked by your predecessor for this position." 

"That was a very political way of answering, but thank you." Aya shuffled some of the papers which littered her desk around until she found a certain document. "Here it is. This memo is from the Center 46. It states that a special investigation has been set in motion to uncover the murderer or murderers of the O'Connell family. They have requested that each captain nominate their vice-captain and one other subordinate to form a cross-squad investigative team." Aya set the paper down and at looked at Heero directly. "I want you to be a member of this team." 

"Me?" 

"Yes. I can only image what Duo is going through ... and yourself because of his emotional state. I thought it through, and I felt that you would be the best candidate because of your connection to the O'Connell's. Not too close, but close enough to care." 

"With all due respect, Captain Akimori, I feel Duo might be better --" 

"He's too emotional to think clearly, and someone of your judgment should know that. Please, Heero, I feel you're the best man for the job." 

Heero thought about the offer. Aya did make a good point that he would have a strong desire to see the investigation all the way through, but at the same time he would be able to stay removed and objective. "I accept." 

"Excellent!" Aya clapped her hands together in joy, and rounded the desk so that she might hug Heero; however, Heero deftly dodged the open arms. Disappointed her arms dropped to her sides and she simply smiled at the young man. "Thank you, Heero." 

"Hmm." Heero bowed and turned to leave. 

Duo's eyes slowly opened and focused on the plain white wall next to the bed. He groaned loudly and rolled onto his back. Yet another day of laying around completely useless to the world. He wanted so desperately to go back to work, but the higher-ups wouldn't allow it. With a sigh, Duo slipped out of bed and stretched. The cool spring air floated in and caressed his naked body, making him feel a little more awake than when he had been under the covers. 

After pulling on some clothes, Duo made himself some breakfast and then decided to take his sketchbook up onto the roof. The day was sunny and mild, the noises from everyday life drifted up to Duo's ears as he drew random pictures of Heero. He finished a doodle and turned to a fresh page, there wedged in the crease of the pages, was the packet of letters that Jackson had given him. His warning drifted back through Duo's mind, and despite his curiosity, Duo placed them in the back of the sketchbook. He sat watching life move beneath him, and began to wonder just what had been so important about those letters. "Maybe it's why you were killed, old man." 

Duo pulled the packet out of the sketchbook and examined the outside. There was no writing, nothing to indicate the content of the letters. He carefully unfolded them. The handwriting was bold and somewhat flamboyant, but it definitely belonged to a female; though truthfully, the only way he knew this was her name was at the bottom of the letter. Duo's eyes widened as he began to read the body of the first note. 

"Heero, look, why do you want to go against the orders? That's not like you." Trowa was concerned for his friend. Heero had come to him just moments ago, asking that he join him in investigating Jackson's murder outside of the team which was being assembled. 

"Trowa ... there's something -- I don't know, call it a gut feeling, but we need to do this without their knowledge." 

Trowa studied Heero's eyes; there wasn't one trace of humor in them. Heero was deadly serious about his odd feeling. "All right. I'll help." 

Quatre walked into the room, a sheepish look on his round face. "I want to help too." 

"Quatre?" Trowa was startled to see his lover walk into the room. He was supposed to have been out on patrol still. 

"I'm sorry. I was eavesdropping. I want to help find the bastard that killed those kind people." 

"Excellent. The more people I know I can trust -- the better." Heero looked at Quatre and gestured for him to join them at the table. "Duo has more information than any of us. If I get him to join then maybe we'll find a good lead before the captains or the team do." 

"I agree. Heero, that'll be your job. Quatre and I will very subtlety investigate through the squads. Surely someone will have a loose tongue." Trowa stood and began to walk to the door with Heero following closely behind. "Quatre, you keep your ears open. Don't pointedly ask anyone -- got it?" 

"I understand." Quatre nodded and urged the two to get moving. 

"Duo should be awake by now. I know he's at the apartment because he doesn't leave." Heero's face showed his sadness as he spoke. Trowa was surprised by how much emotion this man, who normally held everything back with a glare, was showing in front of him. The two arrived at Heero and Duo's apartment after a brief walk only to find Duo not inside any of the rooms. Heero glared in frustration and began walking to the stairs which led to the roof. Trowa followed quietly behind him. 

Duo was sitting and staring blankly out at the city. "I wondered when you were going to get home." He turned and forced a smile hoping that neither of them would question what was wrong. 

"Duo, we need your help." Heero sat down and rested his hand on Duo's tense shoulder. A questioning look flashed across his face as he felt Duo pull away slightly. 

"Heero, I need to talk to you. I'm in trouble." 

"Should I leave?" Trowa question softly, worried that he was intruding on something intimate. 

"No. I need your help as well." Duo began to explain everything that had happened to him in the past months. Jackson's revelation about a possible coup and how he was a spy. Then Duo spoke of the fact that he had been recruited as a spy as well. "I didn't want the job, but it was forced on me ... Since Jackson told me nearly everything." 

"What's wrong then?" Trowa walked over to the couple and squatted behind Heero so that Duo wouldn't have to raise his voice much. 

"It's this letter, and what the director of the spies said to me the night I was recruited. They think that the coup has started -- and that it has a leader." 

"Who?" Heero asked softly. 

"They don't know. The only thing they know is that this person has power. Lots of power. Enough to kill or have those killed that know too much or stand in their way." Duo looked at Heero, fear shone brightly in his eyes. Heero gently pulled Duo into his embrace and held him tightly. "I'm scared, Hee-chan. I don't want to die. And I especially don't want you to die." 

"None of us will. Listen. First we're going to get rid of that letter. Does anyone know that Jackson gave it to you?" 

"No. That was why he gave it to me. It wasn't meant for me to see it ... he told me not to read it, but I thought maybe it might have a clue as to why he was killed." 

"Okay, that's good. We have to watch each other's backs then. Just stay low, and try not to find yourself alone too often. Everything should be fine then." 

Trowa reached out his hand. "I'll take the letter and dispose of it." 

"Here." Duo handed the letters to Trowa and then stood. "There are some other things I need you to get rid of." 

"What?" 

"My sketchbooks and journals. I'm not sure ... but there may be some things in there that might be incriminating." 

"I -- I can't destroy those ... they're your life." 

"Trowa ... they're not my life, they're just drawings and thoughts and feelings written down. Heero's my life and so are my friends. Please just do something with them so that no one can find them." 

"I will." The group moved into the small apartment, and Duo gathered up all his journals, placing them into a laundry bag. 

"No one should have any questions if they see you carrying this." 

"I'll put them where only I know where they are. If you ever want them again, I'll give them back." Duo hugged Trowa tightly and and thanked him for his help. The door closed behind Trowa with a soft thump and Duo slid down into a chair. Heero lovingly placed his hand on Duo's shoulder and squeezed gently. 

"I'm not sure what to do. If they've got so much power, the person may already know that I'm one of the spies." 

"Duo ... stop thinking about it. It'll only make you worry more. Maybe we should go for a walk?" Duo shook his head and stood. His hands grazed lightly up Heero's torso and stopped on the neck of his kimono. 

"I'd rather stay home." Duo's eyes had a sultry look about them, and Heero knew that look very well. He smiled and agreed with a deep kiss; he became determined to ease Duo's fears with every inch of his body and love. 

Heero stared at the ceiling, his protective arms wrapped tightly about Duo's body. It was nightfall, and the crickets were beginning to chirp outside. Despite the fact that Duo was sleeping contentedly within his embrace, Heero couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Something awful and horrible. For the first time in his life, Heero closed his eyes and prayed that Duo be watched over and held safe. Duo nuzzled Heero's neck and sighed happily. "At least when you sleep, you're not a frantic wreck like when you're awake." After placing a tender kiss upon Duo's forehead, Heero closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep. 

-----

Several days passed without incident, nor with any leads on the murderer. Duo had finally, after much arguing and pleading, managed to convince the Center 46 that he was well enough to patrol in Soul Society again. He was still barred from hollow patrol, but at least he wasn't just lying in bed all day. 

Duo kissed Heero good-bye as he left for patrol. The sky was a bright blue and the ground was dewy from an early evening rain the prior night. All in all, it was a beautiful day. That was until Duo came face to face with a shinigami baring his zanpakutou at him. "Duo Maxwell?" He was just a young boy, barely out of the academy. 

"Is something wrong?" Duo stiffened, preparing himself for anything. This boy might possibly be the hired gun that had killed Jackson. 

The boy smirked and charged at Duo, who with an agile sidestep dodged the attack. "I've been ordered to kill you." He turned and faced Duo once again. "If you wish to defend yourself, by all means ... do so -- but if it didn't help third seat Jackson ... it won't help you either." 

Duo's stomach jumped when he heard the admission from the boy. "You? You killed them! It was you!" 

The boy sneered and moved into an aggressive stance. "Yes, and I delighted in making his wife bleed to death. I loved the way she felt as the life slowly drained from her body. It was better than sex." 

"You sick fucking bastard." 

"Go ahead and draw your zanpakutou ... or do you want me to regale you with more tales of things I did to that family?" Duo angrily pulled his zanpakutou out of its sheath. Completely ignoring the rule of alerting the other squads that the murderer had been found, he released the first seal on Seikousen. The boy laughed, obviously enjoying Duo's pain and anger. "That's it ... I hate those who just stand there and do nothing." 

Hearing the voices, the captain of the fourth gotei, Sally Poe ran out into the street from the aid center to see what was happening. She was shocked to see Duo facing another shinigami in combat. She turned to her vice-captain who had also ran outside and ordered her to alert the other captains. 

Heero was quietly reading a book when a loud pounding on the door pulled him out of the make-believe land. "Heero! It's Duo!" Trowa continued to pound on the door until Heero threw it open. "Duo's fighting ... I don't know what's going on." Heero shoved Trowa aside and ran from the apartment. His heart beat loudly within his throat as he ran toward the fourth gotei's headquarters. That same sick feeling that something wasn't quite right fluttered through his body as he neared the area where Duo was. 

"Put your zanpakutou down! I don't want to hurt you!" Duo pleaded with the boy, but the kid continued to attack with a gleeful smirk on his face. 

Heero began to move forward to help Duo, but Trowa's hand stopped him. "Wait. I don't think Duo's in trouble ... he can handle this." 

"Trowa ... I don't give a damn about Duo's pride right now. I -- I don't want him to fight ... that kid could kill him." 

"That's not possible. His reiatsu is much lower than Duo's, and he's not hiding any of it. So relax." 

"Is that the kid who killed the O'Connell's?" Trowa turned to see his captain standing behind him. 

"I'm not sure." 

"It is." Sally answered quietly. "Heero, you should let Duo take care of this. He needs to for closure." 

"Fine." Heero spit out angrily. He crossed him arms and watched while Duo tried to reason with the boy. 

"Don't you want to kill me? I killed your new family after all -- and what of your old family? Hmm? What if I went after them?" 

Duo charged at him anger flaring in his soul. He didn't much care about saving this sick person now, he just wanted to see him dead. Their zanpakutou clanked and clinked as they met again and again. Neither side yielded, until Duo found a small opening. He quickly exploited it, and managed to disarm the boy. 

Duo raised his zanpakutou for a fatal blow, but stopped and lowered his weapon. "What's wrong, can't kill me?" Another shinigami walked up and picked up the boy's zanpakutou and handed it to his captain. The crowd slowly parted for the group from the boy's squad to escort him to the detention center. 

"No. I'm not you." Duo turned and spotted Heero in the crowd. His smile was bright as he looked at the man whom he loved more than anything. It was obvious that some of the pain had been lifted from his heart by fighting the one who had murdered Jackson. 

Heero smiled back at Duo and began to move forward to meet up with him. He was so relieved that Duo was still alive and well. While the two lovers' eyes were on each other, Trowa's remained on the boy, who seemed to have spotted something or someone of interest in the crowd. He nodded and then reached within his kimono. "Duo!" Trowa screamed, but it was too late. Duo turned around to see the boy wielding a sharp dagger. Before he could defend himself, the knife was plunged into Duo's chest. Blood slowly oozed out around the blade and dripped onto the ground. Before he could be pulled away from Duo, the boy pulled the dagger from Duo's body causing a rush of crimson to pour from the open wound. He pulled duo closer and whispered something into his ear, and then pushed him away. 

With a soft laugh, the boy turned to face the rushing army of shinigami. "You won't take what I know." He held the knife up to his throat and then quickly slid it across his soft skin. He fell to the ground choking and sputtering in his own blood. 

"Dammit!" One of the captains cursed as he reached the body. He glanced up to see Heero standing over Duo's body, staring down in disbelief. 

"Heero ..." Trowa attempted to comfort Heero, but was pushed violently away by him. 

"Leave me alone!" Tears were streaming uncontrollably down Heero's face. He glared at everyone who was trying to come closer to Duo. He knelt and pulled Duo into his arms. Duo's eyes moved slowly to face Heero. They were devoid of their usual luster, and were filled with anguish. "Duo ... don't leave me." A small smile broke out on Duo's face before his head rolled lifelessly onto Heero's arm. "No ..." Heero pressed his hand down onto the wound on Duo's chest and tried to stop the blood. "Nooo!" He doubled over Duo's body and held it tightly against him as he screamed. There was no one to be angry with, no one to let out his sorrow upon. He was alone. 

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Notes_: Okay, so I took almost a month to get this chapter out -- sorry. It's not very long compared to my other chapters, but I've run into a bit of writer's block. I can't quite figure out how to get from this point to the next big part of the story. The next chapter will definitely be slow coming out since this week is Thanksgiving. So just to warn everyone .  
Also, I've changed my updating to a week between the posts, going up to at the most two weeks in between them. Having on a definite day was interferring with school and life related things. (not like I have much of one ) Anyway, they should still be a week apart, but just on random days now. My writer's block isn't that bad, so I think after one more chapter I should get rolling again.

Warnings: Angst   
Status: COMPLETE

-----

"Bring him back!" Heero grabbed tightly onto Sally's kimono and shook her.

"Heero-kun, I'm sorry -- he's gone. There's nothing any of us can do." Heero backed away slowly and looked at the faces surrounding him. Trowa was close by and inching closer to the distraught man ever so cautiously. The tears began to blind Heero as he stumbled backwards, Duo's body was being taken away from him. It took some effort to right himself, but as he did Heero flung himself forward trying to snatch Duo away from the shinigami escorting him back to the hospital.

"Duo!" Heero's anguish filled sobs drowned out the chatter amongst everyone. He held out his hands trying to touch Duo one last time, but Trowa's arms wrapped around Heero's quivering body, holding him so that he wouldn't hurt himself or anyone else. "Duo!" 

"Heero ... you don't need to be here."

"What?" Heero turned his bloodshot eyes upward to look at Trowa. "You're right." His voice had taken on a calm note, which worried Trowa. "I don't need to be here. I need to be _there_ ... with him." Heero pushed free of Trowa's embrace and began to walk away from the commotion. He walked down the streets in a daze, only concentrating on his destination, and what he planned to do. Heero was completely unaware that Trowa was following closely behind him. 

Heero entered into his apartment and walked into the kitchen. There laying on the table was what he needed; the instrument which would bring him closer to Duo. Heero picked up the knife and rolled the handle in his hand a few times to get a feel for its weight. He placed it against the unmarred skin of his arm and pressed down until a small trickle of crimson began to emerge from under the blade. 

Trowa burst through the door to find Heero slowly beginning to pull the knife upwards along his arm. "Heero!" Trowa grabbed Heero's wrist and pulled it away from his body. "You can't do this! It's not what Duo would have wanted you to do!"

"I can Trowa! I don't want to be here without him. I can't do it." Heero's face was stained with tears, and his hopelessness was evident in his eyes.

"Don't do this. Please." Heero collapsed against Trowa, the sobs racking his strong body. He seemed so small and fragile now, as if the slightest thing could shatter him into a million pieces. Trowa just simply held him, and allowed him to cry as much as he needed to.

-----

Heero could feel Trowa's sharp eyes upon him, waiting for a response to the tale which he had just spun. After a few moments of silence, Heero cleared his throat. "Was that all?" 

"Well, I thought you said you had remembered everything after that ... was I wrong?"

Heero stood and dusted off the seat of his pants. "No, you weren't wrong." He felt sick to his stomach; it wasn't as if he could remember all of that, but yet it felt so familiar to him. Obviously everything which Trowa had relayed to him was the truth, but that left many questions which had yet to be answered. "I have a few questions ..."

Trowa and Quatre exchanged a look before Trowa nodded to Heero. "That's fine." He glanced around them, and apparently found their position to be to his liking. "Go ahead. But mind your voice ... there may be ears in the nearby woods."

"I understand. I'll start in the beginning ... how did you know so much? And how do I have any proof that what you've just told me is the complete and utter truth as far as the incidents in which you were not involved?"

Trowa hid a smirk behind his bangs. "I thought you would ask me that ... it's all Duo's word. Here ... take these." Heero was handed a large heavy box; inside were Duo's journals. "Those are all his. His sketch books, journals, even some letters he wrote to you when the two of you were split up."

A sudden feeling that his and Duo's privacy had been invaded washed over Heero. "So you read them?"

"I had to. Let me answer the unasked question I see in your eyes. After Duo was killed, Quatre did some research. Although he was unable to find the leader of the coup, he was able to find out that there was a young boy that was being investigated by an undisclosed shinigami. Namely ... Relena Peacecraft. The leader of the secret order. The group which was going behind the back of even the military investigators of the second gotei to discover who was behind the plot to overthrow order in Soul Society. She found him. Duo -- I mean. He matched everything ... all the way down to his looks. We knew he had been reborn on Earth when his zanpakutou handle disappeared.

As you know, when a shinigami passes on, their zanpakutou blade vanishes. However, sometimes ... in rare instances the handle will vanish if the shinigami is reborn with their powers intact."

Heero starred at Trowa, still a bit confused on the finer points, but things were becoming a bit clearer as to why he had been assigned to Duo. He was there to protect him if he was discovered by the members of the coup. "So the handle made you investigate. I suppose I should say thank you. Even though I feel I owe him an apology -- he must think that I'm cold hearted since I continually fought my attraction to him."

"Oh, he doesn't remember anything from this life. Anything he feels for you is strictly his soul recognizing its mate ... your soul. I read everything that Duo had wanted me to hide when the handle disappeared. I knew something was going on -- and I needed all the information I could get, since you had clearly had your memories erased. I still don't understand why you did that ... I thought that you hadn't wanted to have that operation done."

"I didn't. Someone did it without my permission."

"It was probably Akimori-san." Quatre spoke up from behind Trowa. "She always wanted you ... without Duo's memories in the way then you could easily be hers. Yet ... I don't think she realized that you would lose everything that had made you the Heero you were when she had met you."

Heero scoffed angrily at the mention of Aya's name. So that had been why he didn't trust her, she wanted him to be her lover. As if he'd ever crawl into bed with her. Heero sighed heavily and looked at his two friends. "I'm going back to Earth. If you want to come you can."

"Really?" Quatre jumped up and down excited about the prospect of a journey.

"Yeah. I'll meet you outside your place early tomorrow." Heero waved goodbye and walked back to his apartment. Heero's memories were still a complete blur, but somehow with what Trowa had told him and Duo's journals, he knew that his memories would return quickly. 

Heero laid in bed that night reading the journals, letters, and skimming through the sketchbooks, which Duo had placed all of his thoughts and feelings into while he was alive. Thankfully, Duo had been found again, and Heero couldn't wait to take him into his arms and tell him how much he loved him.

-----

Heero knocked softly on the hospital room door. Duo was sleeping in the chair next to his father's bed; he was curled up into a ball with a grin upon his charming face. Heero gently brushed a lock of Duo's hair away from his eyes. "You love him ... don' you?" Heero jumped and turned in the direction of the voice. Duo's father's eyes were focused on Heero, and held a twinkle of humor in their depths. "I don't mind. I just want my son to be happy."

"Yes ... I do -- love him." Heero tried to repress the blush which was starting to creep across his cheeks.

"His mother would be happy. You seem like a very good person." Duo's father began to cough, and Heero grew concerned for him. "D-don't call the nurse." After a deep breath, he was able to stop the coughing fit and speak in a less stressed manner. "I'm fine. It's just this old heart of mine. It's never been all that good -- even though Duo swears that I'll out live him, and that I'm full of health." Heero smiled at the old man. He looked very much like Duo, which may have thrown Heero off when they had first met, if he had been in possession of all of his memories. "Tell me, Heero-kun ... what are your intentions toward my son?" Heero coughed lightly and looked down at the still sleeping Duo. "If you're hoping he'll save you -- he can sleep through a typhoon ... there's no saving you. Just answer me." 

"Well ... I said I love him. I want to be with him -- always."

"Excellent. Then I give you permission to date him ... and if anything happens to me -- I want you to take care of him. Promise me!"

"I promise. You have my word. Nothing will ever happen to him -- I swear on my life." Heero knew that Duo's father had no idea how much meaning and emotion was behind his promise, but the smile on that gentle face caused one to break out on Heero's own.

"No need to be so serious."

"He's always ... serious." Duo stretched and yawned as he joined the conversation. "Hey stranger." Heero choked back the emotions which rushed to the surface when he looked upon his love. "What's wrong?"

Duo's father chuckled softly. "I believe, son, that the two of you need to go and be alone. At a restaurant of course." His eyes dared Heero to try anything sexual with his son upon punishment of death.

"Sorry, Dad. We're going now. I'll see you tomorrow." Duo brushed a quick kiss upon his father's cheek and grabbed his school uniform's jacket. "C'mon Heero. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"You're always hungry." Heero closed the door behind him, the soft chuckles warming his heart even more than it already was. The two boys went to Duo's favorite restaurant and sat down to talk about what happened in Soul Society. "You want to hear the _whole thing_!" 

"Yup!" Duo smiled as he bit happily into his chicken nugget. "Tell me it all."

"Duo -- I'm not sure if you should hear ... everything."

"Whattaya mean? You didn't cheat on me -- did you?" The fear which flashed across Duo's face made Heero's stomach wad up in a knot.

"No! Of course I didn't cheat. It's just ... some things that -- well ..." 

"You mean your memories?"

"Yeah ... did I tell you about that?"

Duo looked a little sheepish as he revealed his little secret. "Trowa told me. He showed up the day after you returned to Soul Society. Just long enough to explain to me why you left."

"Hmm. I see. Are you saying you want me to fill you in on what I remember?"

"Yeah. Because I'm afraid I'll lose to that ghost that's following you around. I've seen you almost open up completely to me, and then instantly retreat. Why?"

Heero looked out the window and watched the people walking along the sidewalk as he formed his response inside of his head. "I guess ... that I should tell you what I know mixed with what I remember ... and then I'll show you something when we get back to your house." Duo chuckled as an apparent dirty thought passed through his mind. Heero ignored the laugh and began his tale, only slightly abbreviated from Trowa's. "... You're the Duo I fell in love with, only reborn."

"But I have no memories of that ... I mean -- I felt like I had known you my whole life when I met you, but ... I don't know Heero -- reincarnation?" Duo's voice betrayed his lack of confidence to Heero. He knew that Duo had grown up in and had been raised by a man whose religion taught that reincarnation was not truthful; despite that belief being ingrained in Duo's mind, Heero was hopeful that Duo would eventually agree with what he was being told.

"It's okay, when you're ready I know that you'll accept it as true. But right now, Duo -- I want to start a new life with you ... here on Earth."

Duo looked up from his food, a stunned expression on his face. "What about your job?"

"I'll quit. Relax, let me handle that and don't worry." Heero smiled to reinforce his words.

"I'm not worried Heero, it's just that -- how are you going to live here?" Duo looked around the near empty restaurant and sighed. 

"In a gigai. There have been others before me who have done this. I know what I'm getting into. Besides -- Treize can help me." Duo may have looked skeptical, but Heero ignored it and continued to eat.

"Heero, I just want to know one thing -- why?" 

"'_Why_' what?"

Duo leaned across the table so that only Heero could hear his words. "Why did you come after me? Is it because I look so much like your dead lover? Or is there another reason?"

Heero's heart began to beat more quickly; was Duo questioning Heero's feelings for him? "Duo, what do you mean? I was assigned to watch over you."

"But why Heero? I guess ... do I look like him?"

The doubt in Duo's eyes upset Heero, but he wasn't sure how to erase that look. Heero searched his mind trying to find some sort of comfort other than just the facts. He knew that Duo being Duo would not be consoled with only the simple statement that Heero had been ordered to watch over him. Unfortunately, Heero could think of nothing else to say to Duo, so he told him all that he could. "I was ordered by the Central 46 to watch over you. You had a special energy signature ... that's what I was told at least. You see -- in reality, some friends of mine had stumbled upon you. And yes -- it was because you looked so much like _him_ that they took notice of you. After closer evaluation, they determined that I should watch over you. I'm still not sure why. I think it was because you _are_ him -- my late lover." 

Duo leaned back in his seat and began to gaze out the window. He appeared to be lost in thought for more than a few minutes. Heero sat quietly, waiting and praying for Duo to say something to him. "I don't like it." The response was curt and there was a slight quivering in Duo's voice. Heero couldn't even begin to imagine what was running through Duo's mind at that moment. In fact, he was worried that Duo was about to say goodbye to him. "How can I be jealous of this other person if he's actually me? I don't like it, Heero. _I_ want to be the only man in your life. I -- I wanted to be your first." Duo wouldn't look at Heero as he spoke, but Heero could see the raw emotion in those bright indigo eyes. 

"I'm sorry Duo. I can't change what happened -- anymore than I can change my age."

Duo's chuckle held very little humor within its depths. "Over eighty years, huh? So it's been ... what -- roughly sixty years since I died?"

"Time moves differently up there than it does down here. It moves more slowly. When I begin living down here, I'll age the same way you do."

Duo turned his face to Heero. Heero didn't look a day over twenty-three. "It's amazing you know? You look older than me, but not by much."

"Duo ...?"

"I know, you want to hear me say that everything's fine and that we can be a couple now ... am I right?" Heero nodded his head. The moment in between his answer and Duo's was an excruciating few seconds. "The answer is yes. On one condition ... you treat me as if you don't know _anything_ about me. I'm a new and different person ... not that guy you were in love with before. I'm not him. I'm me, Christopher William "_Duo_" Maxwell -- got it?"

Heero smirked. "That's your name?"

"What of it? I don't see anything wrong with it ... it was my grandfather's name." Duo crossed his arms against his chest in a playful pout. Heero began to laugh with carefree abandon. No matter what Duo said at this moment, this was _his_ Duo, and everything was going be all right. No more wondering why he was still living. No more lonely nights. The hole within his heart was now filled.

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Notes_: I realize that in the last chapter I stated that my writer's block was gone, but sadly I was mistaken. However, happy news, I figured out that it wasn't writer's block, just lack of concentration. So I did what I should have done in the first place, which was write down notes for each of the upcoming chapters and everything is moving along much more smoothly. So next week (maybe before Christmas, but probably after) the next chapter will be done. I can state at this moment that there will definitely be more than 20 chapters, but probably not anymore than 30. So we're getting closer! 

Warnings: Some sexual humor (nothing major)  
Chapter Status: COMPLETE

-----

Heero and Duo walked hand-in-hand into Duo's house after dinner. Heero was going to show Duo all of his journals. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but he was still going to show him. "Wait in the living room. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Duo grinned and left Heero's side. Heero climbed the stairs two at a time, anxious to see his love's reaction to the writings and drawings. When he entered his room, he was greeted by a grinning Trowa.

"I see you're in better spirits." Trowa was perched upon the window sill.

Heero smiled slightly and then began to gather the journals. "I'm going to show these to him." 

"In other words, you're asking whether I think this is a good idea, or a bad idea ... right?" Heero gazed up at Trowa, and frowned. "Yes, I think the more we can push him to try and remember -- the safer the two of you will be."

Heero began to walk out of the room, when the meaning of what Trowa had just said hit him. "What do you mean by safer?"

"I mean that the person who ordered Duo's death is still out there ... and as of yet unknown to us. The police and the military are searching ... including the underground society which Duo was a part of. But not one person has found any evidence linking it to one specific person." 

"I see. I'll be on guard then." So, the reason Trowa had invented the order to have Heero watch over Duo was to protect Duo. Heero smirked and thanked Trowa quietly.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing." Heero left Trowa and returned to Duo with his arms filled with the journals.

"What are these?" Duo began to help Heero unload his burden.

After all the journals were placed on the small coffee table, Heero sat in the floor. "These are your journals. From when you were a shinigami."

"Huh?" Duo began to flip through some of the books which were at the top of the stacks.

"After we left the Rukongai, you began to draw and write in journals. They chronicle your life in Soul Society." Heero watched Duo's face carefully for a reaction, but none came. Duo sat quietly and rummaged through the books until he found the earliest dated one. With a blank expression, Duo began to read the journal. That whole night, the boys sat in silence, while Duo read every page, and examined every drawing.

"They do look like my work ... and this is my handwriting. But I don't quite understand the last few books. They're odd."

Heero stirred himself when Duo spoke. He had dozed off, and found himself leaning against Duo's shoulder. He sat up straight and looked through one of the journals which Duo had handed him. He was right, the entries were odd, as were some of the drawings. "It's almost like a code."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too. Wonder what I was trying to say." Duo rubbed his eyes and stretched. "Well, I'm tired. How about you?" 

"You don't want to talk about this?" Heero was surprised that Duo was being so laid back about the journals. 

"Heero, I just read through what is supposedly the chronicles of my previous life as a shinigami. I need sleep now. My brain feels like mush and frankly I think that I'm going insane." Duo stood and began to walk out of the room.

"Duo, I'm sorry -- I guess I shouldn't have shown these to you." Heero stared down at his hands which were clasped together in his lap. His inner voice had warned him about showing the journals to Duo, but he had refused to listen.

"Heero ..." Duo sighed and walked back over to Heero. He sat down next to him and wrapped Heero up in a tight embrace. There faces were inches from each other and Heero could hear his heart thumping within his chest. "I feel like I just landed in the twilight zone. This is all really hard for me to wrap my head around ... you know?" Duo leaned his head against Heero's shoulder and took one of his hands into his own. "I need some time, but I will tell you one thing ... some of the things in those journals felt like a memory. A distant faded memory. If it is true, then I want to remember it all. But right now ... I just want to enjoy you. I don't care about the past Heero." Duo raised his head and gazed into Heero's deep blue eyes. Heero swallowed hard and held his breath for the kiss that was sure to come. Duo's face moved closer to Heero's and their lips met in a simple and innocent kiss.

"Duo," Heero began softly, his forehead resting gently against Duo's. "Will you go out with me? -- On a date." 

Duo's grin was brief, and was replaced by a playful pout. "I was wondering when you were going to make me an honest man. Seeing as how I--"

"Duo," Heero raised an eyebrow in a warning gesture; since Duo wanted to play, he would play too. 

"What? It's true. My mouth's been ashamed since that night. Seeing as how it was a virgin and all." Heero couldn't help but laugh at Duo's performance.

"You should be an actor you know that?"

"Thanks for the compliment." Duo stretched and yawned. "I'm ready for bed. How about you?" 

"Thought you'd never ask." Heero followed Duo upstairs and the two boys prepared for bed. They snuggled together under the covers as they quickly and quietly fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

-----

Duo and Heero stood outside the gates to the adventure park, which had been Duo's idea for their date. Heero wasn't particularly looking forward to being slung around on fast rides and eating nothing but junk food; however, it was what Duo wanted so, that was the final decision. The park wasn't very crowded, much to Heero's delight, and the sky was clear with fluffy white clouds skittering across the blue plain. All in all it was a beautiful day, and Heero felt very happy and lucky to have Duo by his side.

Duo was holding Heero's hand and dragging him to the first ride. "Heero, have you ever been on a roller coaster?"

"Um ... is that one?" Heero pointed nervously to the massive twisted metal contraption before him. Loud screams and laughter rushed by them as the coaster cars whisked past.

"Yup. It's the smallest and shortest of the three they have here. I thought we could start out on this one, and then work our way up." Duo was beaming at Heero, and there was no way that Heero could say no to those eyes. 

"Okay." Heero couldn't believe that he was scared of the coaster. He had never been scared of anything ... ever, but now before this monster of a ride, Heero actually felt nervous about boarding it.

"Heero, you okay?" Duo asked as they moved up in the que. The next car would be theirs, and Heero was starting to feel more nervous than when they first got in line.

"I'm fine." Heero said, steeling his determination to ride this contraption for Duo's sake. The car pulled up and the gate opened to allow the next group of riders on. Heero took a deep breath as he crossed through the gate and sat in the car. The bars came down over their shoulders and locked in place. Duo had a bright smile on his face and looked completely at ease, but that was far from how Heero now felt. With sweaty palms, he grabbed onto the handles upon the safety restraint and held on for dear life as the train jerked into motion.

"Isn't this fun!" Duo asked as they were calmly riding up a short hill. So far the ride wasn't so bad, but Heero had seen the drop that was on the other side of the hill they were now climbing. Just before the cart took the plunge over the crest, Heero could swear that he felt his stomach fly up through his body and join his brain. As the train jerked around a bend at the end of the drop and continued its crazed twisting and turning, Heero found himself relaxing and thoroughly enjoying the ride. In fact, he began to laugh as the ride continued, but it all came to a stop too soon for his liking.

"Can we go again?" Heero asked Duo as they climbed out of the car.

Duo laughed lightly and slung his arm around Heero's shoulders. "Well there are two others, do you want to try them out before you decide which one you want to ride again?"

Heero's smile was as bright as a child's as he nodded in agreement. "I really liked it."

"I can tell." The two walked around the small park and rode the other coasters, and Heero's favorite happened to be the one with the multiple loops in it. For a good part of the day, they rode that one coaster many times, until Duo finally put a stop to it. "Okay Heero, we need to do something else for a little while, or my food's not going to stay down."

"Well, let's go eat."

"Good idea." Heero and Duo chose a little cafe style eatery and sat at the farthest table in the small eating area. "So that was your first time on a coaster?"

"Yeah. I had no idea that there were things like that here. Before we got on, I thought the prospect of being slung around and dropped in that manner wouldn't be fun. I was wrong though."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I was afraid that you wouldn't have fun here." Duo picked at his teriyaki burger as he spoke.

Heero reassured him with a small smile. "I'd enjoy myself anywhere as long as I'm with you."

"Heero ..." Duo breathed a bit unevenly. Heero could tell that his simple remark had stirred strong emotions inside Duo, and he was happy that the object of his affections felt as strongly for him as he did for Duo. "I love you too," Duo whispered.

The last ride the two went on before heading to the train station, was the ferris wheel. They snuggled as the wheel slowly turned and their seats climbed to the top. "I had fun today, Duo."

"So did I. What're we going to do on our next date?" Duo nuzzled Heero's neck eliciting a stirring within Heero's groin.

"Duo ... unless you want me to rip off your clothes right now, stop nibbling that spot."

"Hmph." Duo rested his head against Heero's shoulder and stared out at the city. "I wouldn't mind that you know."

"I think you would when we got arrested." Heero chuckled lightly, hoping that Duo realized that he wasn't being completely serious. He did want Duo to nibble on him and kiss him, but after today, he knew that he was ready to make love to the man beside him.

"You're right. So, next date?"

"Hmm ... how about your bedroom?" 

"How forward." Duo teased with a smirk. "I don't think anyone's ever propositioned me before. You're the first." 

"Well, are you going to accept it or not?"

"Hmm ... it depends." Duo had a devilish gleam in his eyes and Heero wondered what he was up to.

"If you're a good boy or not." Duo snickered and ran on ahead of Heero once they exited the ferris wheel. Heero jogged to catch up with him, and once he did their hands twined together.

They walked hand in hand to the train station to board the commuter back to their township. While, on the train, Duo rambled softly about school and other things; Heero just sat and listened to the sound of his voice. Once at their stop, they exited and found WuFei waiting for them.

"I was wondering when you were going to get home." WuFei stood from the bench which sat against the station wall.

"WuFei? Why are you here?" Duo asked, confusion obvious on his expressive face. 

"I came to stake my claim."

"On what?" Heero asked suspiciously. He had never fully trusted WuFei, yet he knew that Duo had no feelings for the man. So why was it that the nape of his neck was now prickling as he awaited WuFei's answer?

"Duo." 

"HUH!" Duo looked from WuFei to Heero, completely bewildered by this proclamation.

"I love you Duo. And I will not rest until your heart is mine." WuFei walked closer to Duo, but Heero cut him off.

"WuFei, Duo is only a friend to you. He's _my_ boyfriend. Not _yours_. So go back home and sober up."

"I'm not drunk, Yuy. Just in love, and I know that I can love him better than you ever can. I can treat him better than you ever can. So therefor, it makes sense that I proclaim my undying love for him."

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" Duo peeked around Heero, who glanced at his face. There was panic and shock in Duo's eyes, and Heero knew that he was as lost as he was.

"Duo, please, just give me a chance," WuFei pleaded. "I'm standing here with my heart on my sleeve, and I want you to know that I'm all yours."

"WuFei ... I -- um ... I dunno. I love Heero." WuFei's face faltered slightly, but quickly regained its composure. Heero glared at him. "But I love you too ... Just as a friend."

"Be that as it may, I still love you, Duo Maxwell. And I _will_ win your heart." WuFei glared at Heero before saying one last thing. "And that, Yuy, is a promise." He then turned and left the two boys staring after him, completely confused.

"Sometimes I just don't get him." Duo mumbled.

"I think he prefers it that way. Let's go home." Heero gently took Duo's hand in his and the two walked home in silence.

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Notes_: Well this chapter is mostly smut. So, enjoy! And yes, there is a point to this chapter ... I promise! Oh and the next chapter will most likely be as short as this one, because I'm building up to the next plot point.  
**NOTE: THIS CHAPTER IS _EDITED_! Please go to my website (the link is in my profile) to view the unedited story. (there really wasn't much edited out ... but still it is edited).**

Warnings: Limes , language  
Chapter Status: COMPLETE

-----

Heero was quiet on the walk back to Duo's house. His mind continually going over and over what WuFei had said. The fact that he wasn't good enough for Duo bothered Heero the most. It wasn't WuFei's place to state something like that, and how did he even know what _was_ good for Duo? "Hee-chan? Are you alright?" Duo's voice was barely a whisper. Heero glanced over at the other boy and noticed that he was looking at him with obvious concern.

"I'm fine. I just was wondering what would make WuFei suddenly proclaim something like that."

Duo gazed up at the stars before he spoke. It was obvious to Heero that the he was choosing his words carefully. "It's odd that he did that. I mean, he's never once said or done anything that would make me think that he was in love with me." Duo sighed heavily, his old friend's declaration was having an effect on him as well.

Heero grunted softly, returning to his thoughts on the matter. He had known for a while that WuFei had some sort of romantic attachment to Duo, but he had never known how serious the other man was about his feelings. This outburst of WuFei's told Heero that he had been serious. If it was a fight for Duo that WuFei wanted, he was more than happy to oblige him with one.

The two climbed the small hill which lead to the house. They were both tired from their date and wanted nothing more than to forget the latter half of the day. "I call dibs on the bathroom first!" Duo laughed lightly as he ran up the stairs ahead of Heero, who just rolled his eyes.

Heero entered the bedroom, which he shared with Duo, and stripped of his clothing. He pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms and then laid down on the bed roll. It was nice that he now knew the past, but it wasn't as if he could remember much of it yet. Heero longed to remember all the private moments which he had spent with Duo, but he feared that he never would regain those memories. He wasn't sure how long he laid there staring at the ceiling waiting for Duo to get out of the shower. It felt like forever, and when Duo finally did come into his room, Heero was half asleep.

An intoxicating masculine odor filled Heero's senses as a loving hand slid across his abdomen. He groaned softly and rolled his head closer to the source of the smell. Breathing in deeply, Heero slowly opened his eyes to see Duo's face looming closely over his own. His long hair fell down around his shoulders and he was still warm from his shower. Heero reached up and cupped his hand against Duo's face. "Hee-chan ... I was wondering. Well -- that is if it's okay with you ... I would like," Duo swallowed loudly enough for Heero to hear. He knew where Duo was going with his ramblings, but Heero wanted to hear him ask. "I want to sleep with you, Hee-chan. I'll let you take me ... if that's what you want. I don't mind, I just want to be yours."

Heero's heart fluttered at the sound of the words which Duo had spoken. Since he now knew what had been preventing the two of them from being intimate with each other, he was certain that he wanted Duo. Because this was _his_ Duo, not a fake, and it had been the shadow of Duo from the past which had stopped him before. He wouldn't stop now, nor was he going to hold back. Instead of answering Duo's question, Heero pulled his lover's face down to meet his own in a searingly passionate kiss. Their tongues melded together as a powerful yearning began to spread throughout their bodies. Duo's hand lightly grazed up and down the length of Heero's torso, causing a trail of pleasurable tingles to follow his movement.

Duo broke off the kiss and stared down at Heero, love burning brightly in the depths of his blue eyes. He smirked as he reached down to pull off the pajama bottoms which were blocking his view of Heero's body. Duo's soft chuckle resonated in Heero's chest. "I love you, Duo." His declaration was soft, but the hint of tears in Duo's eyes showed that he had heard him.

"I love you too, Hee-chan." Duo bent down and kissed Heero on the mouth once again. His tongue darted teasingly against Heero's, until the one he was taunting forced his own inside Duo's open mouth. Duo broke away with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Heero knew what he was up to, and smiled himself as his lover began to nip and kiss his sensitive skin. He was beginning to feel like he would explode if Duo continued his utterly slow quest down Heero's muscular torso. 

"Duo ..." Heero groaned out of desperation.

"Heh, sorry ... but I like the way all of you tastes. You can't rush me, Heero." Duo drawled out his lover's name as he lovingly cupped the part of Heero which had been screaming for attention. Heero's pelvis moved upward slightly as he allowed the pleasure of Duo's hands and mouth to overtake him. This time nothing was going to hold him back, he was going to enjoy every minute of Duo's body touching his own.

Duo's mouth surrounded Heero causing his moans of pleasure to intensify in volume. He could hear Duo mumbling something softly and felt the heat of his breath against his sensitive skin, but he wasn't certain of the actual words that had been spoken. He wanted Duo's mouth on him again, his teeth scraping lightly against him, that amazing tongue that knew just how to touch him, and those hands, those wonderfully amazing hands bringing him to his release. After several blissful moments of touch being the only sense in Heero's possession, he released with a loud groan.

Heero looked at Duo, who was know laying beside him. "Your turn." With a mischievous grin, Heero pushed Duo onto his back and hovered over him. The man was more beautiful than the last time he had seen him, and Heero felt more in love now, than ever before. He bent down and caught Duo's earlobe between his teeth. He could feel the shiver of pleasure wash over Duo's lean body. Heero's movements mimicked Duo's sloth like pace down to his groin. However, he didn't tease the other man as he had been teased. He slid Duo inside his mouth and began to work his own magic on his lover's body.

Duo trembled as the new sensations coursed through him. Heero delighted in the soft moans which were growing steadily louder as his tongue rubbed against Duo. "God ... Heero ..." Duo's body arched as he released inside Heero's mouth. He fell back against the bedroll panting with a slightly glazed over look to his eyes.

"Duo," Heero gently cupped his lover's face and rolled him until he could see into those magnificently blue eyes. The purple flecks which lent an indigo look to Duo's eyes were bright and caused them to appear more purple than normal. "You're so beautiful. I love you. _You_. Not any other Duo that I've known ... just you." Duo smiled weakly and placed his hand over Heero's which was resting on Duo's chest.

"I know." Heero could feel that he was becoming aroused again, but wasn't sure if Duo was up to going further right at the moment.

"Duo?"

"Hmm?" Heero could tell that his lover was growing sleepy, but he decided that it would be better to ask him if he wanted to go further instead of allowing to fall asleep without knowing.

"Do you want to go further? I know you said that you wanted to go all the way tonight, but I can tell that you're somewhat tired now."

"No, I'm fine." Duo gave Heero a tender smile and a peck on the cheek. His head lingered against Heero's strong shoulder and he turned himself against the warmth which the other body lent to his own.

Heero chuckled softly as he began to stroke Duo's silken hair. "Right." He let his hand run down the length of hair several times, until he could feel Duo beginning to snuggle more with him. He took that as his cue to press forward. Heero's strong hand cupped a firm butt cheek and squeezed which earned him a very soft groan. He began to knead that cheek as he lovingly kissed the cheek on Duo's face. 

After a few moments, Heero sensed that they weren't alone. He turned and found Trowa sitting on the window sill watching the two lovers. "Trowa!" Duo sat up and starred a little embarrassed at Heero's friend.

"Sorry to interrupt, but there's something very important that I think both of you should know." Trowa moved out of the sill and walked over to Duo's bed. He sat down and crossed his long legs.

"What is it?" Heero covered up Duo who in turn angrily threw a cover over Heero's exposed nakedness.

"Well, there's someone here that I think you should be concerned about."

"'_Someone_?'" 

"Yes, Aya. She's here, and I'm not entirely certain what her reasons were for coming Earth-side, but I can imagine that it has something to do with you." Trowa's eyes held concern for his friend, and the weight behind look he gave Heero was not lost on him.

"I understand."

"Good, I'll leave you two now. Again -- sorry for intruding." Heero grunted softly and watched as his friend left them alone once more.

"I take it having Aya here isn't a good thing, huh?" Duo looked a little worried by what Trowa had said, and Heero wanted to reassure him, though he couldn't find the right words.

"No," he settled on the direct approach. After all, Duo didn't remember anything, he only knew what Heero had told him. "I think we should go to sleep now."

"But, Heero?"

"If it's true that Aya is here, she'll want to see me tomorrow. I need to think of a way to appease her, so that she'll return to Soul Society." Heero laid down on the bed roll and motioned for Duo to snuggle up against him. He could tell that Duo was disappointed, but then he was too. However, Heero knew that there would be no way for him to completely relax with the weight of Aya's arrival on his mind.

"'night Hee-chan." Duo mumbled as he nestled up against Heero's warm body.

"Goodnight, Duo." Heero placed a tender kiss upon Duo's forehead and then lay awake thinking of things that he could say to Aya to make her go home.

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Notes_: I have **NOT** quit writing this story ... sorry it took me so long to get out another chapter. Those that are reading my other story, _Dragonfly_, please be patient too ... I haven't quit writing at all, I've just been sick with a nasty head cold on top of a sinus infection.  
This chapter marks the slow climb to the climax of the story. We're now moving into the final stretches ... I'm happy and sad all at the same time. I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: None  
Chapter Status: COMPLETE

-----

Heero's stomach was filled with dread the next day as he and Duo walked into their classroom. Aya was there, and he knew that it wasn't just because of an assignment. He scanned the room and couldn't find her, so far so good. She at least wasn't in their classroom. "Hee-chan? What's wrong?" Duo's worried gaze didn't help the trepidation which Heero was feeling at the moment. 

Heero sighed and squeezed Duo's hand in a reassuring gesture. "I'm fine. I'm just concerned about what might happen when Aya shows up." The two took their seats and waited for the teacher to come in and begin their first class of the day. After a short while, the door slid open and a quiet rustling murmured through the group of students. Heero knew without looking that Aya had walked into the room.

"Ah! Heero-kun! There you are." A small and slender hand came to rest on Heero's tensed shoulder as the young woman slid into her seat beside his desk. "I was hoping we'd be in the same class."

Heero grunted softly. He wished that he could throw her out the window, but that would probably not look too good in either world. So he sat there, saying nothing. He noted, however, that Duo was staring at Aya with a puzzled expression. In front of Aya was not the place to ask him about his expression, but Heero wanted so badly to just blurt out the question of whether or not he had remembered something.

At long last the teacher entered and saved the two from having to listen to Aya's prattling. Heero could feel her eyes on him as the day's classes dragged on. Several times he imagined hurting her in various ways, just to try and take his mind off those brown eyes which were boring holes in the side of his face. He had no idea what he had ever done to her to make her obsess over him the way she did, but it was very annoying.

When lunch came, Heero and Duo nearly ran from the classroom to get away from Aya. It wasn't as if they could actually hide from her, but the two nearly came to a decision to skip the rest of school that day. "What's her problem? She's been staring at you all day long?"

"I'm not sure."

"I don't like her." Duo spat angrily. It wasn't often that he made a proclamation like that, but when he did, there was a good reason behind it. Heero sat against the wall on the roof of the school building and watched as Duo paced back and forth.

"Duo, sit down."

"I can't. There's something bothering me about her ... I just can't figure out what it is." He sighed loudly and then plopped down beside Heero. Duo rested his head on his lover's shoulder and then wrapped an arm loosely around the other's lean waist. "I love you."

Heero smiled quietly and leaned over to place a kiss on Duo's forehead. "I love you too."

"So here's where you went!" Heero gazed up to see Aya standing before them, a broad knowing smirk plastered on her perfect face. "So, this must be him ... the one you left Soul Society for. He looks oddly familiar."

"Aya ... don't."

"Oh! I'm so sorry ... does he not know?" If WuFei hadn't walked through the door at that moment, Heero would have killed her. She knew, he could tell that she knew who Duo really was, and she was playing him. He wasn't sure what her goal was, but there was another reason why she was on Earth, and it had something to do with Duo.

"Maxwell, Yuy ..." WuFei nodded to each of them and then stopped when he glanced at Aya. "A-aya ... I thought you said that you wouldn't be starting until tomorrow ..."

Aya's grin was sheepish as she turned to face WuFei. "Well, I guess I fibbed a bit. I couldn't wait to get to school with everyone ... so I began today." 

The group sat and talked until lunchtime was over. After spending the hour with Aya, Heero was absolutely convinced that somehow she knew everything about Duo. The only question which remained was that of her motive. If she wanted Heero, going through Duo was not the way to do it. Unless of course, she was trying to make Duo seem like he was a cheater and a liar. Those were two things which Heero knew he wasn't, and he had learned that through harsh experiences. No there was no way that she could win Heero's heart, it was a completely futile effort. So why then was she there?

The rest of the day seemed to drag slowly by, mostly because Heero was now dreading going home. He knew that Aya was going to follow, whether she got their permission or not. Duo had wanted to visit his father, but that would be complicated if Aya was there as well. Heero decided just to be rude and make her go away, there wasn't many choices left to him. Hopefully if she saw there was no hope with him, she'd leave.

"Hey Heero!" Duo ran up to him with a bright smile on his face. "I just saw Aya speaking with one of the teachers ... if we leave now she won't know where we went." Heero grinned. It was just like Duo to know exactly what had been going through his head.

"That's great. Let's go then." The two walked to the bus stop in silence. It wasn't until they were on their way to the hospital that Duo spoke.

"Heero, did you find it odd that WuFei and Aya seemed to already know one another?" 

"Yeah, that was strange." Heero grunted thoughtfully and began to focus on the reasons why the two may know each other. It would explain the sudden willingness of WuFei to proclaim his undying love for Duo, but then how did Aya get to him? WuFei wasn't the type to give in so easily to other people. He was the type of person who stood proudly on his own two feet, and wouldn't budge unless given a good reason to do so. There was something bigger going on, something larger than just Duo and Heero's relationship, and it seemed somehow that WuFei had now been dragged into it. "Duo, would WuFei believe someone if they told him lies to convince him to do things that they wanted him to do?"

"Hmm," Duo's face scrunched up as he thought for a few moments. Finally after a space of silence, he spoke again. "Well, I think that if you worded things correctly ... if you used something important to him against him -- then yeah, I think it would be possible. Very difficult, but still it could be done."

Heero mumbled his thanks softly and felt that same knot tighten within his stomach. It had been there all day long and was getting worse by the moment. WuFei was an unknown factor in Aya's scheme, something to throw him off balance. He knew this much, but was it possible that she had been ... Heero's mind stopped on that thought. No Aya couldn't be so cruel as to kill people. She had never been that type. Possessive over him, yes, but a murderer, no.

The bus came to a stop two blocks from the hospital and the boys exited, then walked the distance keeping their thoughts to themselves. Heero decided that he needed to speak with Trowa again. He needed to get the whole story, there was more going on than what he had been told. Of course there was the possibility that the rest of the answers were locked deep inside Duo. If that was the case, then he may as well just give up on trying to figure everything out. "Heero ..." He glanced over to see a concerned look on Duo's face. "I want to try and remember everything. I think it'll help."

"Duo, I'm not sure how to make your memories come back ..."

"There has to be a way. Who do you know that could help us?" Heero thought for a few moments and then realized that there was someone who could help, Trieze.

"After we're done here, we'll go and see Treize. I think he may be able to help us." Heero smiled to try and assure Duo that all would be fine, but he could tell it didn't help much. His boyfriend still had a concerned expression on his face.

-----

Heero slid the shop door open at Treize's store. "Hello? Anyone --" The small redheaded girl, Honor, came running up from the back of the shop to great them.

She bowed deeply and smiled a sweet smile. "Welcome!"

Duo grinned broadly and stooped down to the young girl's level. "Hey. Do you work here?"

"Yup." Honor looked up at Heero. "Is this your lover?" The two boys both began to blush violently. They looked at each other with embarrassment overflowing.

"Honor! I think Kenzie's been a poor influence on you! Get to the back and leave these two alone."

"Yes sir." Honor bowed slightly and scurried off. Trieze shook his head and then turned his attention to Heero and Duo.

"I see you've finally come back. What is it that you need now?"

"I want my memories back." Duo blurted out, there was note of desperation in his voice that tore at Heero's heart. He began to pray silently that Trieze could help. 

"Ah, your memories. So you are the famous Duo Maxwell ... the shinigami who gave his life because he knew too much."

"Huh?" The two boys spoke in unison. This was the first Heero had heard of this. He had learned through Trowa that Duo had apparently become a spy, but he never once had thought that his death had anything to do with the coup within Soul Society.

"Trieze, do you mean to say ... that Duo was murdered because of the coup? Or was it something else?"

Trieze grinned and turned with his arm outstretched toward the back room of the store. "Follow me ... it's too open out here. I'll tell you everything that I know." The small group walked back into a small room which seemed to be sealed off. Obviously this room was intended to keep wayward eyes and ears from finding out what was going on inside. Trieze sat on the tatami mat before Duo and Heero. He took a few moments situating himself so that he would be comfortable. He then asked Honor to fetch the group some refreshments so that they wouldn't be interrupted while he was speaking with them. She bowed and ran off to do as she was told. 

After the tea was served and the door was shut and locked, Trieze cleared his throat. "What I'm about to tell you is information which I have gathered through various sources. I'm uncertain of my contact's original source or sources, but mine is a young girl by the name of Relena Peacecraft."

"Relena? Well ... that would make sense. She was the one who first contacted Duo, but everyone knows that she's the leader of the police force. I don't understand, how is she giving you information without getting caught?" Heero was genuinely puzzled. Surely Relena realized that she was in more peril than anyone else because of the fact that she was so prominent within Soul Society.

"Those girls out there ... they get the information from her. It's very complicated, and I'd much rather just continue instead of explaining it all."

"Sorry. Go ahead." Heero wanted to know, but didn't press the matter. Trieze looked like he really didn't want to explain anything, so he didn't want to press his and Duo's luck and not get any information at all.

"First off ... do you remember the young girl named, Laurie?" Heero nodded. "Her death was because she got too close to the truth. You see, the coup which you are referring to has been building up for quite some time now ... and she had become very close to finding out who was behind it all. The person is a prominent figurehead. Someone very important."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Sadly, no. But we do know some of the members."

"Tell me, is my captain ... is Akimori Aya one of them?" Treize's eyes narrowed and then closed. He sat that way for a few moments and then reopened his eyes to look at Duo. He stared at him as he gave his answer.

"Yes. I would be wary of her. Especially you."

"Me?" Duo looked confused, and the knot within Heero's stomach felt as if it had just exploded. He knew who had killed Duo now ... it _had_ been Aya.

"She killed you. Because she wants Heero for herself and because you had found out something that no one else was supposed to know."

"I wonder what that was ..." Duo stared into his cup of tea trying to force the memories back into his mind.

"Don't strain yourself. You can't possibly bring back any memories from a previous life just by sheer will alone. I'm sure that Aya is hoping you don't remember anything. I would imagine that she's here just for that reason. She wants to know what he remembers."

"Nothing! I don't remember a damn thing!" Duo growled in frustration and clenched his fists in his lap. "If she's the one that took me from Heero ... then I want to know why. I want to make her pay!"

"Perhaps we should first ask a question before we answer that one ... we need to know why you're here. Most people when they die in Soul Society go on to heaven, yet you were reincarnated. Why? What purpose does your new life serve?" Heero's eyes narrowed as Trieze rambled out his many questions. He didn't want more questions, but he could answer that one very easily, because their souls were intertwined and he had been split in two when Duo had died. That was why Duo was back, because they couldn't be separated. It was a romantic reason, but it was the truth and Heero knew it without a doubt in his mind. "You look as if you don't want to hear this, Heero-kun."

"No. I don't want to hear it, because I know the answer to it."

"Oh really ... then enlighten me."

"Duo's here because of me. Because our zanpakutou's are two halves of a whole. My life called his back to me. He was reincarnated on Earth instead of Soul Society."

"Which would make sense. I've never heard of someone ending up in Soul Society again after they've died there." Trieze appeared to get lost in thought after he spoke. Heero was beginning to grow annoyed with the man, he seemed to be able to do that quite easily to him. "I think that a hypnosis session might do Duo some good."

"So are you saying that I answered your question?" Heero asked in confusion.

"Well, your answer was very romantic, but it does make sense. I'd have to say that there is some force that wants the truth out ... before all of Soul Society is destroyed." Trieze rose from his sitting position and walked toward the door. "Coming?" The two boys stood and followed him out of the room.

The small group walked down what seemed like at least three flights of stairs which led to a small basement room. Inside the room was strange looking equipment, Duo's hand instinctively grabbed Heero's as he gazed at the equipment. "Duo-kun ... would you please have a seat?" With a loving squeeze from Heero's hand, Duo reluctantly let go and sat in the only chair in the room. It was a cushioned recliner but not very comfortable. Trieze pushed the back of the chair down and propped Duo's feet up with a stool. "The foot rest is broken. My apologies."

Duo chuckled a bit nervously. "It's okay."

"This won't hurt Duo ... You're going to basically take a trip deep within you to find your lost memories. While you are doing this, the two of us will be here the entire time next to you. When you awaken, if you've found them ... you should be your former self." Duo nodded and Trieze placed an odd contraption over his head. It had a green light behind what looked to be an ordinary pair of sunglasses.

Trieze quietly explained to Heero that the light was what put the user to sleep. It basically placed him in a deep trance so that he could look within himself. The entire process wasn't much different from finding the name of their zanpakutou. Heero watched nervously as Duo's body relaxed in the chair and finally his breathing slowed. If he could remember everything, then maybe his true murderer would finally be brought to justice. "_Please find your memories, Duo ... not because I want you to remember us, but I don't want what happened to you before to happen again ..._"

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	17. Chapter 17

_Auhtor's Notes_: I present to you the next chapter ... as I write with this with my eyes half closed. I'm sleepy ... 'night!

**_This chapter has been edited! Please visit my website (listed in my profile) for unedited version ..._**   
Warnings: Sexuality  
Chapter Status: COMPLETE

-----

"Duo! Hey! Duo!" Duo's eyes slowly drifted open at the sound of his name being called. The bright afternoon sun was beating down on the tiled rooftop upon which he was perched. There was so much for his mind to take in, Relena certainly had told him many things the night before. A panic took hold of him as he realized that he couldn't remember anything that she had said. "Duo!" He gazed over the edge of the roof and saw Hilde standing below, her small foot tapping on the dirt. "I've been looking for you everywhere! The captain wants to see you."

"Tell him I'm coming."

"When? Next week? Now silly!" Duo sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping well lately. In fact he was amazed that Heero hadn't noticed, maybe he was just being nice and not asking. With a sigh, Duo climbed down onto the balcony and walked down the stairs to join Hilde on the street below. "I thought I was going to have to drag you to him." 

"No ... I'm fine." Hilde gazed at Duo with a questioning look, which made him chuckle softly. "Seriously, I'm okay."

"Right. I guess I have no right to pry," which meant she was going to, "but is everything okay between you and Heero?"

"Everything's fine, Hilde. I just haven't been sleeping well is all." Duo smiled and gazed ahead at the bustling street. It was unusual for the captain to summon him on his day off, so whatever it was couldn't be that important. After walking for a bit, they arrived at the eleventh gotei's headquarters.

"Well, I have other things I have to do ... I'll see ya later!" Hilde waved as she skipped off. Duo waved in return and entered his captain's office. His captain sat cross legged staring out the open doors and into the garden.

"You needed to see me?"

"Oh! Yes Duo-kun." Duo's captain rose to his full height and walked up to him. "I wanted to give you this ..."

"What's happening to him!" Heero grabbed Treize who tried to bring Duo out of his trance.

"I'm not certain." Duo's body was convulsing and he was making strange choking noises. After a few moments, the machine was successfully turned off and Duo came around. 

"Duo ... are you alright?" Heero's warm hand was nestled against Duo's clammy cheek. He received a weak nod as an answer, and after convincing himself that Duo was fine, he turned on Treize. "What did you do to him? You said this was easy ..." 

"I did. And it is. There's something stopping him from remembering. I can't tell you what it is, but something is definitely blocking the memories." Treize busied himself with putting away all the equipment. Heero helped Duo to his feet and back up the stairs.

"Our captain ... he stabbed me with his zanpakutou," Duo mumbled softly.

"He never did that, Duo. He was killed by Aya." Duo grunted softly and rested heavily on Heero's shoulder. Heero needed to get him home somehow, but the bus stop was such a far walk from where they were, that he doubted he could support all of Duo's weight for that long a time.

"I'll drive you boys." Treize was walking up behind them, his face held a serious expression for a change, and Heero noted that he was just as puzzled about what had happened. The drive to Duo's house was silent, the only sound was Duo's heavy breathing as he slept against Heero. There was a lot that they needed to figure out, and Heero could feel that they were slowly running out of time.

-----

Duo's eyes slowly struggled to open against the strong light which was shining down onto them. He turned his head away from the intense light and managed to open his eyes enough to see Heero smiling at him. "I was worried ... I thought that you had died."

"Heh. Me die so easily from a shock?" Heero's face scrunched up slightly into a confused look. Maybe Duo had hit his head? "Heero, what's with the look?" Duo pushed himself up into a sitting position and then noticed that they were both wearing their shinigami uniforms. "Wha -- ?"

"I should be asking you that? Did you hit your head when you fell?" Heero helped Duo up off the ground and busied himself straightening his partner's clothes.

"I -- maybe ... where am I?" Duo gazed around, but none of the scenery was familiar. They appeared to be in the middle of some woods, but it was nowhere he could remember being. 

"We're just outside of the seireitei. Don't you remember ... we came here to train. I kind of overdid it though." Heero blushed slightly and glanced down at the ground. This wasn't right, Duo knew that this was not right. Something was off.

"Heero, why did we come out here to train? I don't recognize this area at all." Duo stared at Heero with an expectant look and an agitated frown slowly formed on his face.

"I don't know why you don't remember it. We've been here many times before ... this is where we -- where we first made love." Duo's mouth dropped open, then abruptly snapped shut. What the hell was he talking about! This was _not_ where they had had sex for the first time!

"Okay, I don't know why ... but you're playing some kind of joke on me." '_I can't believe I just accused Heero of all people of joking,_' Duo sighed to himself and then walked over to the other man. "Look, this isn't funny ... I just had **_the_** worst experience of my life and now my typically straight-faced-never-jokes boyfriend is actually trying to pull one over on me. I don't like it!" He lowered his face close to Heero's. As he gazed into the other man's eyes, he noticed that there was most definitely something off, but he couldn't figure out what it was. This man was still Heero, he could tell that just from being close to him. He smelled the same, looked the same, even his eyes held the same shimmer. This _was_ Heero; however, it wasn't so much him, but well, everything around them that was bothering Duo. 

"I'm not joking, Duo ... this is the place." Heero's eyes told Duo that he was serious, but there was no way that this was the place. This wasn't the rukongai! It was clean and had vegetation. The place that they had lived at only had any vegetation next to the river! What was going on! "Come with me." He stepped away from Duo and held out his hand. "Please."

"Okay, Heero would never say '_please_' to me ... or to anyone really for that matter. Where am I? And where is Heero?" Heero's hand dropped to his side, and he lowered his head until Duo could no longer see his eyes.

"Duo," his voice was very soft, and Duo had to strain to hear it. "If you don't come with me, something horrible will happen to me. Please ... I'm begging you." Heero raised his eyes back up to stare into Duo's. They stood with their eyes locked for a space of a heartbeat before Duo smirked.

"I guess I've got no choice when you put it that way." Duo slowly slid his hand into Heero's. His hand was squeezed tightly as the two of them began to walk into the heavy foliage. "Um ..." Duo began to ask about how they were going to make it through such thick underbrush, but suddenly the forest around them disappeared and they were in a small room lit only by one candle. There lying on the oversized full bed was Heero tossing and turning in his sleep.

"You don't know why they took his memory ... do you." It wasn't so much a question that Duo was being asked as it was a statement of fact. He turned his face to the Heero who was holding his hand still. "I'm going to show you now ... part of what happened that night." 

"Who are you?" Heero turned his face to Duo and smiled, at that moment it seemed as if a soft warm glow was flowing from him and into Duo's cold body. "_Seikousen?_ I'm right -- aren't I?"

"Shhh ..." Seikousen placed a finger against his lips. "Just watch." A few moments later, a figure moved past them through the shadows and over to the bed. It was followed by two larger shadows. The small one moved into the glow of the candle, and Duo was shocked to see who it was.

"Relena ... but --" Seikousen squeezed his hand, quietly telling him to be silent. Duo continued to watch to see who the other two were. Nothing surprised him more than the one who lifted Heero out of the bed after he had been drugged by Relena. It was Trowa. He felt a sharp pain shoot through him as if he had been stabbed. How could one of their closest friends have betrayed them in such a way? It didn't make any sense at all. He had been as puzzled as they had been about the memory loss, but on the other had ... it did make a weird kind of sense. After all, Trowa never tried to help Heero regain his memories. He never once let on that he knew what had happened to Duo. If that one was Trowa, then the other one must be Quatre.

Duo waited to see the face of the other figure, though when it moved into the light his mind went numb. It was not Quatre, but someone else. It was Laurie. She was dead, right? That hollow had killed her ... how did she? This was impossible! Duo's mind reeled from what he was seeing. It couldn't make sense of any of the situation. He could feel Seikousen's hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"No. I don't understand ... and how do -- how do you know this? Why am I being shown this?" Seikousen smirked the same way Heero always did when he was about to prove Duo wrong. 

"I am your zanpakutou, correct?"

"Well, yeah -- but ..."

"I'm linked to your soul. Therefor, you were witness to all this -- as a soul." Duo stared blankly at Seikousen. He wasn't making much sense, because when a shinigami dies, they go to heaven. At least that was what he had always been taught. There were only special circumstances which allowed them to be reborn as humans. "I understand that you're confused. This will all make sense later. I promise you."

"It better. So, explain something to me ... why show me this?"

"It's important." Duo's eyebrow raised in a silent question. He wasn't sure if he should continue listening to his zanpakutou, it seemed to be a little looney. "Look, ask Trowa next time you see him. Find out if this is the truth." Duo stared down at the ground and realized that was the only thing that he could do.

"You're right. He was here, so he would know."

"Good ... I'm taking you back now, find your way to the truth ... Duo Maxwell. Do it quickly before tragedy strikes once again." Duo's face snapped upward and his eyes bored into Seikousen's.

"What tragedy? Am I going to die again?" His voice squeaked with emotion and fear that the answer would be that someone else would die in his place. Someone he knew he could never part with.

"I can only tell you what I've stated ... my information is limited now that you're alive again."

"Huh?" Duo sighed heavily and scratched his head in confusion. His zanpakutou was definitely looney.

Seikousen laughed quietly and then smiled at Duo. "Remember that you must find the truth. You're the only one who can ... Heero will never be able to in the state which he is in now. In fact, I don't believe that he will ever regain his memories completely. So it is you that must do this task, but be wary of everyone ... including Heero."

"I will ... I promise." 

-----

Duo blinked his eyes open and then scooted closer to the warmth which was pressed against his back. He knew it was Heero's lean body and drew one hand up to his mouth. He placed a feather light kiss upon the tip of each finger and grinned when the hand slowly tightened around his own. "Duo? Are you awake?" He rolled over and faced Heero whose brow was creased with worry.

"Yeah. And I'm fine ... stop worrying." Duo ran one finger lightly along the taught jaw line of Heero's face. "I love you, Hee-chan." His nose scrunched up in puzzlement as Heero's eyes widened. "What?"

"You ... you just called me by the pet name you gave me -- in your other life." Duo chuckled lightly and threw his arm around Heero's shoulders. He snuggled into the warm crook of his neck. Duo could feel Heero's body shiver as he began to nibble on the sensitive flesh.

"I called you that the other day too ... and you didn't notice." Heero sighed and laid back against the pillows. Duo could feel his hand sliding slowly down the ridges of his spine which caused his breaths to increase in number. He was becoming aroused, and wanted Heero so badly his head was starting to swim.

"Duo ..." Heero's breathing was heavy against Duo's ear, he grinned and pressed his body against Heero's. 

"I want to ..." The two rolled over until Duo was pinned underneath Heero's body. The heat from Heero's groin burned through Duo's thin boxer shorts and excited him to the point of nearly losing all his control at that very moment. He wiggled his legs until he could feel the pressure of Heero's arousal straining against his own. A tender kiss was placed on Duo's forehead, then Heero proceeded to kiss everywhere on his face except for his mouth. "Hee -- ro ..." His voice growled deep in his chest and died off into a groan of pleasure as a warm hand ripped off the thin layer of clothing between the two bodies. He nearly exploded as flesh met flesh. Duo closed his eyes tightly trying to keep control over his body so that the pleasure would last longer than a few moments. He wasn't entirely aware any longer of just where Heero's mouth was on his body, he just knew that it felt wonderful and he never wanted it to stop.

Duo was amazed at the wonderful sensations rushing through him. Not only physical but the emotional ones. He could see on Heero's face just how much this moment meant to him, they were finally lovers once again. "I love you -- Hee-chan." 

"I love you Duo." Heero's mouth captured Duo's in a hot, soul melting kiss. "I swear I'll protect you forever ..." 

"I know. Just like I'll do the same for you." There was no way Duo was going to allow anything to happen to Heero, no way.

-----

Duo stood in the shower letting the warm water flow down around him. He wasn't sure how to approach Trowa. In fact, he was very nervous about brining up the subject of Heero's memory with the man. Now that he knew the truth behind the memory loss, he just didn't want to know anymore. "But I have to do it ..." 

"Do what?" Heero asked quietly as he joined Duo, who turned around and gazed wearily at his boyfriend. He drew Heero's strong arms around his skinny body and leaned against the other's strong chest. Duo had no idea what to say. There really wasn't anything he could say, after all Seikousen had told him to even be wary of Heero. He knew why, it was because Duo couldn't be certain whether or not Heero would talk to someone else about what he was investigating.

"My homework ... I was thinking aloud." Duo watched the water swirl down the drain wondering if he should ask Heero how to contact Trowa, and whether or not he would be suspicious of anything if he did.

"Something's bothering you. What is it?" Duo shrugged, and turned in Heero's arms. He rested his head against the other's shoulder and closed his eyes. It would have been nice if he hadn't had that conversation with Seikousen. "Duo, you -- you seem different than before."

"I've remembered some things. That's all."

"Would like to share them with me?" Duo turned his face against Heero's strong shoulder and pressed his forehead against the taught muscle. Everything was jumbled in his mind right now, it wasn't as if that thing of Treize had actually worked. It had been Seikousen who had brought some of his memories back. It was hard to explain, but that morning when he had awoken, suddenly he could remember living in Soul Society and the rukongai.

"It's kind of jumbled up in there right now, Heero. Wait until things get a little clearer." Heero gently kissed the top of Duo's earlobe and began to nuzzle his neck. It was really impossible to think any around this man. "Hee-chan ... I need to speak with Trowa, can you contact him for me?" Heero grunted softly, relieving some of the anxiety which Duo had been feeling up to that point. He hadn't asked any question, and obviously thought nothing of this request.

Duo raised his head up and gazed into Heero's eyes. He seemed tired and sad, but happy all at the same time. "I'm glad to be with you again, Duo." With a soft smile, Duo leaned in and pressed his lips against Heero's.

-----

As the two boys walked toward their school, Duo felt as if the entire world was resting on his shoulders. If he couldn't decipher that cryptic message which he had been given, things could very well end up as they had in Soul Society. He couldn't let Heero go through that again. "Duo?"

"Huh?" Heero's eyebrow was raised and he had a peculiar look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I've been asking you if you remembered your homework or not." Duo chuckled uneasily and began to rummage around in his book bag. He produced it with as warm a smile as he could muster under the circumstances and then shoved it back down inside the small bag. Heero was still looking at him as if he had gone mad. 

"I'm okay, Hee-chan. Really! I just ..."

"Is it because we had sex this morning?" Duo stopped immediately and stared slack-jawed at Heero. Was that what was wrong with him? Was that why Heero was giving him odd looks? "I've been worried that maybe you didn't want to as much as I did."

"No! Nononono! I did ... I really wanted to, Heero. Don't be ridiculous. I've -- well, I had an odd dream -- that's all. It's been bothering me all day. 'though I can't remember what it was about." His answer produced a smile on Heero's face. He had accepted Duo's response as the truth, and it was the truth -- partly. Duo felt horrible for telling the small fib to Heero, but it couldn't be helped. He knew that he needed to leave him out of this for as long as possible. The two resumed their trek to the school, neither boy spoke a word.

-----

Duo had watched Aya closely that day. He remembered a small bit about her, mostly how she seemed to always want to be around Heero and leave him out of the group. He had never liked, nor trusted her in any way. The woman gave off a bad aura which Duo had always steered clear of. It was obvious to him now, that she was back in their lives for one thing only, to get Heero. This realization made him smirk to himself, because he knew that was an impossible task. Heero loved Duo and there was no one alive who could split them apart. Unless, they attempted another murder. Duo shuddered and shook the thought from his head. He reminded himself that was not going to happen again.

The day dragged on and finally that evening, Heero told Duo that Trowa would be there shortly. "So quickly? And you waited until now to ask him?" Heero grinned and set down a bowl of rice in front of Duo. "You really don't like to talk much do you?"

"No ... not really." Duo stared down at the food which was laid out before him. His stomach was churning so badly, he wasn't sure that he could eat any of it, but he forced himself to at least eat some so that Heero didn't question him. Shortly after dinner, Heero led Duo outside and they waited in silence for Trowa's arrival.

"Duo, Heero." Trowa greeted them both with a smile, but it soon faded when he saw the serious expression upon Duo's face. "You wanted to speak with me?"

"Yeah, but ... alone, please." Duo turned to Heero, and pleaded quietly with his eyes. Heero nodded and walked slowly back inside the house. 

"What's wrong?"

"I suppose you know that Heero took me to Treize's. He tried to help me find my old self's memories." Duo and Trowa walked over to the stone wall. While Trowa leaned against it, Duo sat down on the cold ground and began to pick at the blades of grass.

"Did it help you any?"

"I'm not sure ... I had a vision of my zanpakutou. He showed me something interesting." Duo glanced up at Trowa to take note of his expression as he continued on. "He showed me that you had a hand in Heero's memory loss." The only evidence that Trowa had any reaction to Duo's words, was the narrowing of his eyes. "Why is that?"

Trowa shifted uncomfortably and looked away from Duo. "I -- how much do you want to know? Everything ... or just that?"

"I'd like to know everything. Seikousen said that there was a possibility that something bad could happen again ... you're my only link to what really happened, and why." Trowa lowered himself into a sitting position next to Duo.

"Then listen carefully to what I say -- I'll not repeat it." Duo nodded and then anxiously awaited Trowa's explanation.

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	18. Chapter 18

_Author's Notes_: No, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is a _new_ chapter of Pieces of a Puzzle. I hope everyone enjoys this one, and be on the lookout for the next and final chapter next week. :)  
I've included a brief summary of the story so everyone doesn't have to go back through and re-read everything. I hope it helps!

Warnings: Subtle violence  
Chapter Status: COMPLETE

**The story so far**: Duo is turned into a Shinigami by Heero in order to save Duo's life. It then comes to light that Duo is Heero's late lover reincarnated. Heero discovers that Duo was a spy prior to his death in Soul Society, and that it may have had something to do with his death. Heero's memories had been erased and this was why he did not recognize Duo as such before he learned everything from Trowa. Shortly after speaking with Trowa about his past, he learns that Duo kept journals and is given them by Trowa. He in turn gives them to Duo, who begins to read them, but cannot remember anything from his previous life.

Aya shows up and both boys know this means trouble, so to try and clear everything up, Duo seeks out the help of Treize. While recovering from the mishap with Treize's device, Duo is shown by his zanpakutou who it was that helped erase him from Heero's memories. After seeing this, he goes to Trowa to find out why he had a hand in this, and what exactly is going on.

-----

Trowa paused and Duo had a gut feeling that he was trying to figure out a way to not tell him. "Trowa, you have to tell me -- my head's spinning with all the glimpses of my memories and frankly I just can't take thinking that you may have had something to do with wiping me from Heero's memory." Duo was trying his best to believe in the person who had said he was his 'friend,' but the guilty expression which was slowly forming on Trowa's face was more than enough proof. "Why?"

"I had my reasons." Trowa turned his back on Duo and walked a few paces away from him before he turned back to face him. "Did you see who was with me?"

"Yes." It was all he could do to keep himself from shaking the truth out of Trowa. Why wasn't he being cooperative? What was the big secret that everyone seemed to be trying so hard to keep?

"Duo, I -- Laurie asked me to not speak of this to you." Duo's heart began to pound within his ears. She _was_ still alive? So he hadn't been seeing things last night. At least he knew now without a doubt that Trowa, Laurie, and Relena had been the ones to erase Heero's memories. "We only erased you. There was nothing else that we removed -- if we had then he wouldn't have been useful."

"Huh?" Trowa turned and lowered himself next to Duo. He glanced around, a worried expression upon his face. "What is it?"

"Those that aren't loyal to Relena ... they're against us, and one of them was close to Heero."

"Aya." Duo's head suddenly began to hurt. He had known that she must of had something to do with his death. So she did want Heero for herself, but it was her bad luck that found him reincarnated. "Was she ... she killed me -- didn't she?"

"I'm not sure. We were never able to find any connection between your attacker and her. Laurie looked, but there was nothing. It was as if your attacker had a personal grudge against you."

"Go figure." With a heavy sigh, Duo leaned back against the cold stone of the fence which surrounded his house. 

"Duo, I have to tell you that you're still in danger, whether you remember the past or not. I know what you were doing for Relena, and whoever killed you the first time _will_ come back again to protect their interests."

"I'll be careful. But if you know what I was doing ... then why won't you tell me? Maybe if I know, then I can protect myself and Heero better." 

Trowa gazed intently at Duo, who could tell that he was trying to decide whether or not to give away what he knew. "It's all in your last few notebooks ... everything."

"It's coded, and I don't know how I did it. Trust me, I've tried to decipher it, but I just can't figure it out."

"Duo, you were very close to finding out who the leader was. _That_ is what was written in those notebooks, and if I'm not mistaken ... there is a letter in them from Jackson which points in the direction of the leader."

"All of that's great ... _if_ I could remember everything about my old self. Trowa, you tell me I'm being hunted, but you won't give me the means to help myself. And Heero's no help either -- he's been in the dark on everything apparently." Duo studied his old friend, trying desperately to find a sign that he still knew more, but he was keeping himself very well guarded. "Maybe I should speak with Laurie."

"No!" Trowa reached out and stopped Duo from standing. There was a panicked look upon his face, and his voice had been unusually loud.

"What? You won't tell me anything ... so why can't I --"

"Because Duo ... we're not sure if she's -- we can't trust anyone." 

Duo swallowed hard, he wasn't trying to say that she was in on the plot to overthrow the old order of Soul Society, was he? "Trowa ... you're joking right? She can't be --"

"We don't know. But we do know that Zechs is one of the enemy."

His mind reeling, Duo chuckled to try and hide his disbelief. "So you're saying that her brother is against her?"

"They didn't grow up together Duo. They do have different view points, but yes ... that is what I'm saying."

"Damn. No wonder you're afraid to speak about this. That's pretty high reaching then."

"We wouldn't be so concerned about it if it weren't." Duo ran a shaky hand through his thick bangs. Why couldn't this just go away? All he wanted was to live quietly with Heero, but no, things had to go back to the way they were before he died. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Just peachy actually." He rolled his eyes at the small snort of a laugh which Trowa gave him in response to his sarcastic tone.

"Have I told you enough?"

"You answered my question. Why you erased Heero's memories ... that was why I asked you here."

"Be on the lookout. Quatre and I will stay close, but we can't be too close. It would give your location away."

"Do they know that I've been reborn?"

"We're not sure. Aya has a suspicion, but as far as anyone else goes ... you're just a look-a-like." He had been surprised to hear that, but by the look upon Trowa's face, he knew that it was only a matter of time before they were found.

"I have one more question ... why did Hilde die?"

"She -- was one of them. I was the one who assassinated her." Duo's heart sunk into the pit of his stomach. He wanted to cry in agony and strike out at something all at the same time. Why did she have to be on the wrong side? They had been friends, good friends. Why? "You remember how easily she could be persuaded -- they're offer was just too good to pass up I guess." Duo nodded, and walked back inside his home without saying goodbye to Trowa. He couldn't trust himself to open his mouth at the moment. It was true that she tended to go with whoever had the best sales pitch, but why did she turn her back on everything that she had been taught? Those members of the coup were not trying to create something better, they simply wanted Soul Society to themselves. Wait. Duo paused. He had just remembered some of the things which he had learned while investigating for Relena.

Holding on to those few memories which had just returned, Duo made his way into the living room and pulled out the box which held all his journals. He rummaged through them until he found what he was looking for, the letter which Jackson had given him. He read through it several times, but could find no clue except that the leader was a person in power; logic indicated that would have to be Zechs. There had to be something somewhere that had solid proof, a reason why he had been killed to start with -- unless, they had been trying to get rid of all the spies. However, if they had simply been doing housekeeping, then why were Trowa and Quatre still alive, and Relena, if she was the leader of the underground police and spy network, then why was she still breathing too? He leaned back against the cushions, completely baffled by everything. The answer was somewhere, it had to be. Perhaps the reason he was killed had been because of Aya. If she truly wanted Heero for herself, then killing him and erasing his memories was the perfect way to do so, but what she didn't know was that Heero would turn into an emotionally closed off soldier, only concerned with his work. Duo smirked a bit thinking about how frustrated she must have been with him.

As he began to place his notebooks back into the box, a thought -- no a memory -- popped into his mind. Hadn't Laurie mentioned that she had been with Zechs? Duo forced his mind to recall the forgotten memory, and slowly the haze surrounding that part of his old self began to recede. She had told him that, and in fact it had been common knowledge. They had been very close, but because Zechs was a member of a noble family, they couldn't be together. That was why she had found her way to him, and then gained his trust. Cold realization flooded Duo's body as he concluded that she had been planning everything even then. It had all been an act. "But how did they know I'd become a spy later on?" He quickly began to search through his notebooks again. This time he found the entries which dealt with Laurie.

He had written that she had approached him first. His theory could be plausible. Duo squeezed his eyes shut, cursing himself for being so stupid. She had laid out her plan well, and executed it flawlessly. He had been completely fooled. He had to wonder if she had still been with Zechs at the time, and he wondered who was really the person leading the rebels. Was it Zechs or Laurie? A noise pulled his attention away from his thoughts. Heero was walking into the room, yawing. "Did you speak with Trowa?"

"Yeah," Duo's voice sounded distracted, and he hadn't wanted it to.

"What's wrong?"

"Heero ... I -- I need to speak with Relena." 

"What! Duo, she can't just leave Soul Society. You do know who she is -- right?"

Duo rose from the couch and crossed over to where Heero stood. He gently cupped his lover's face in his hands and looked directly into those deep blue eyes which trusted him completely. "I know why I was killed and why your memory was erased." Heero's brow drew together in puzzlement as Duo began to pace before him. "I have some solid evidence, but no absolute proof. Just ... pieces which fit together to form the truth behind the coup -- and my death."

Heero grunted softly. "I'll see if I can get her to come here."

"Hee-chan, be subtle. Don't tell _anyone_ not even Trowa what you're doing. Promise?"

He grinned crookedly. "I promise." Duo kissed him quickly and then returned to his notebooks.

-----

Laurie stood upon the roof of a high rise building staring down at the rushing traffic below. "It all seems so pointless, don't you think -- Aya, Noin?"

"Yes, sir." The two ladies recited in tandem. Aya stepped forward and gazed at her leader, hero worship filling her dark eyes. "Sir, if I may --" 

"What is it?"

"I've found him." A smirk began to spread across Laurie's flawless tanned face. They were one step closer to becoming the owners of the two most powerful zanpakutou ever made.

"I don't want any mishaps this time. Last time when we killed him it disappeared. We must take it from him before he dies. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Aya bowed deeply before stepping back to stand beside Noin, who was the only other person in the rebel ranks, whom Laurie trusted enough with her life.

"Noin, has Zechs been notified?"

"Yes, sir. I told him personally that we're almost in possession of Seikousen and Shikousen."

"Excellent. Only one more thing to do then. I have to charm Duo out of his precious soul."

-----

Relena was sitting on the couch watching Duo pace back and forth. He was nervous about telling her what he had figured out, but it had to be said. If he didn't voice it then he could die again, or worse Heero could die. "I know why I was killed, and why everyone else connected to me died."

"You know about Laurie then, right?"

"Yes. She's still alive, and I know that she's searching for us -- for me and Heero."

"What?" Heero's voice told Duo he wanted to know what he was speaking of, but he ignored him and continued.

"It's our zanpakutou. They want them ... they must have known that I was going to be reborn. My only guess is that they never intended to kill me, only hurt me enough to be able to --"

"Duo-kun, wait a minute. You can't just take a person's zanpakutou. Their soul is connected to it ... if they do then it's just an ordinary sword. Unless they bind _their_ soul to it, but it then becomes a completely different zanpakutou."

"I believe I can answer that question." Everyone turned to see Treize standing in the doorway, a guilty look upon his chiseled face.

"Heero ... why is he here! I told you --"

"He didn't say anything to me. I thought you should know that Laurie is here, in town. Obviously she's planning another attempt on Duo's life."

"But how can they --"

"I created a device which allows someone to bind another's soul to a zanpakutou -- in essence keeping that user's zanpakutou intact."

"You what?" Relena breathed, anger radiating from her being. "How could you do something like that? A person's zanpakutou is unique and precious. It's their soul! I cannot believe that you -- wait yes I can. You were always trying to find ways to make things which would allow for us to continue on in our job of keeping the balance. But this goes against everything which we hold dear. _You_ created something which would stop a shinigami's soul from passing on! How dare you!" She paused briefly and took a deep breath to steady herself. "Banishment from Soul Society was apparently not enough for you." 

"M'lady, if I may -- the existence of this device was why I was banished." Treize smiled, but it was not his usual dashing smile, it was one of shame.

"Oh. I see. Why was it not destroyed then?"

"That would be because your dear brother was in charge of that. Or have you forgotten? He _is_ after all the captain of the second gotei -- the police force."

"Great. Now what?"

"If I were you, I would get together an army and I would be preparing for war." Relena lowered her head into her hands and groaned out of misery. Duo knew that the only solution was to find Laurie before she found them. Surprise was the only thing which was on their side at the moment, and he wasn't even certain that they had that anymore. With Aya there, surely Laurie already knew that he was alive and living nearby.

"Heero ..." Without saying a word, Heero slid his hand into Duo's and gave it a gentle reassuring squeeze.

"Tell us what you need for us to do." Heero's soft voice eased some of Duo's fears. He was going to be by his side this time, it wouldn't be like the last time when he was all alone.

"Just stay here. I'll post some guards nearby and they'll alert you if and when Laurie gets close, but for right now this is all we can do. I'm afraid I have no idea how many people she and my brother have been able to convert."

"So it is true -- they _are_ trying to change the way we do things." Relena glanced over at Treize and nodded. "Why? We've been doing things the same way for ages, why now?"

"Perhaps Une can answer that. She's spoken with Laurie, and even though she probably didn't reveal anything related to the coup, she may have spoken of something else." Everyone nodded in agreement. "I'll return tomorrow at the same time. Hopefully I'll have some information for you."

That night Duo paced back and forth as Heero watched him from the bed roll. "Will you please sit down, I'm getting tired watching you."

"Heero, she knew ... she tricked me. And she killed Jackson to drive a temporary wedge between us so that Aya could get closer to you. Which she did. I just -- I'm afraid that if they fooled us once they'll ..."

"Duo, we know what happened the last time now. We shouldn't be fretting that it'll happen again. We know what to expect." Heero gently tugged Duo down onto the bed roll and held him in his arms. "I won't let them take you from me again. I swear that I'll see them dead before they can ever get to you ..."

-----

Relena stared at Une as if she had gone mad. "Are you certain?"

"Yes. There's no doubting what she told me. Laurie Waters remembers her life as a human. And she knows how she died ..."

"By a Hollow." Relena leaned back in her chair and stared blankly at the rough ceiling above her. "If she remembers that, then it would explain why she believes that Hollows are evil, and should be murdered. But what she doesn't seem to understand is how that would throw off the balance of everything." 

"True. I wish you luck trying to put a stop to this." Dr. Une rose from her seat and opened the door, a silent hint that Relena needed to be leaving.

"Thank you again, doctor."

"My pleasure. If there's anything else that you need, please don't hesitate."

Relena's smile felt a bit forced, but she managed to produce one for appearance's sake. "I won't." As she walked outside into the streets of the Seireitei, a strong hand grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Well, well ... my dear sweet little sister. How are you today?" She could feel her eyes widening in surprise, a sign of fear that she could not afford to give her brother. If he figured out that she knew, everything would have been in vain.

"Zechs, you startled me. I'm fine ... you?" She forced a cheerful voice as she quickly recovered from her initial fright.

Zechs regarded his younger sister with a raised brow. The smile which slowly began to creep across his face chilled Relena's blood deep within her. He knew. There was no mistaking that look, he had figured it out. "I'm excellent. Listen, there's something I need to show you back at my office, will you please come with me?"

"I'm afraid I can't. Please forgive me, but I have business I must attend to." She turned to leave, but that same strong hand stopped her short. "Please -- brother."

"I'm sorry, little sister ... but this is very important. You see I can't let you go." Zechs's comment lit a bright defiant fire within her steel blue eyes, and she turned with anger raging inside her.

"I'll scream. You'll not succeed ... I swear to you that you and Laurie will be stopped." 

"Really now. How very cute. My little, tiny sister thinks she can stop the inevitable." Relena tried to back away as one of his hands reached for her long blonde hair, but his other hand held tightly to her arm, threatening to break it. He leaned in closely and pressed his mouth against her ear. "I've always loved you -- but sadly you have this rebellious nature that I can't control. Therefore, the easiest thing to do would be to silence you." She froze for only a moment out of fear as her mind quickly worked to think of a way to escape. A sly smile lit her face as a sharp boney knee met with Zechs's soft maleness causing him to collapse to the ground, his hold on her broken.

Relena quickly unsheathed her zanpakutou and raised it to strike Zechs. He stared up at her with pure hatred lighting his silver eyes, but then something different quickly flashed through them, making her pause. There was someone behind her. Relena turned to face her new opponent, but it was too late. She tried to focus on who it was that had struck her, but everything was becoming more and more blurry. She had to hold on, she couldn't die. If she died then neither Heero nor Duo would know what she had discovered, and there was no way Zechs could be allowed to win. She wouldn't let him.

"Is she dead?" That was Noin's voice! How could her number one pupil do this? Relena tried her best to slow her breathing so that it looked like she had died. She quietly prayed that they wouldn't check for a pulse, but then again, her brother was no idiot.

"I think so. She's stopped fussing. Even if she's not, there's no way she can survive that ... and if she talks it'll be too late anyway. Especially since you said that they've been found. As soon as we have Shikousen and Seikousen in our possession -- everything will be over for those who oppose us."

Relena listened as they walked away from her. She had to get help and quickly, or she would die. She tried to call out, but her voice was only a whisper; her only hope was that someone would be walking by and see her. 

"Please, please someone see me ..." Her body was beginning to feel numb and she was growing cold. It was only a matter of moments before she passed out, and then death would find her. She struggled to move her hand. The least she could do was leave a message that hopefully someone would understand. 

-----------------------------  
In Bleach, the second gotei is the military police. They basically keep the order within the Rukongai (the outer rim of Soul Society) and the Seireitei (where the Shinigami live)  
Seikousen Life light/ray Shikousen Death light/ray

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


	19. Chapter 19

_Author's Notes_: This is the final chapter! I hope that everyone enjoys it, and that the story has come to a fullfilling conclusion. There will be an epilogue, but this is the end of the story.  
Enjoy!

Warnings: Mild Language, Some Violence  
Chapter Status: COMPLETE

-----

"Did you do it?"

"Yes ... she won't bother us now." Laurie gazed up at Zechs's with a questioning look upon her face. He could tell that she didn't believe him when he stated that he had killed his own sister, but if she didn't trust him now, then she never would. "Noin?"

The young shinigami turned bright eyes up to the man whom she admired the most. She had worshiped the ground he walked upon since she was very young, and the mere mention of his name by Laurie was what had urged her into joining the coup. "Yes?"

"What of Dr. Une?"

"She's been taken care of as well. Her meddling will no longer be a problem." The grin which spread across Noin's face was filled with pure evil. Laurie made a mental note not to cross her by any means, doing so may result in the possible loss of her life.

"I told you that there was nothing to worry about, dear. Everything's been taken care of. My sister cannot tell Yuy or Maxwell what she learned, nor can Une tattle to that annoying lover of hers." Laurie pressed herself close to the large expanse of Zechs's chest and almost purred at him. "Um, dear -- I believe we should gather our troops and let them know it's time to proceed."

Laurie grinned as a tingling sensation coursed through her body. Her plan had almost come to full fruition. Soon she would be controlling Soul Society, and she would wipe out every last Hollow in existence. Why was it that no one could see that she was trying to accomplish good not bad? No matter, once she was in charge no one could stop her. No one.

-----

Treize's sigh filled the small living room of Duo's home. They had been camped out together since the previous morning, when they had heard from Trowa that something had happened to Relena. "Why hasn't he come back!" Duo paced impatiently. Heero really was starting to grow weary of his constant movement, but there was nothing he could do to calm him down enough to keep him still. 

"He'll be here when he can, Duo-kun. Just be patient." 

"Sorry Treize, but that's not my best trait." Duo flounced down onto a pillow beside Heero and pursed his lips together into a pout. Even then his leg was bouncing from nervous energy. "Maybe something happened."

"Nothing happened. He's just being careful."

"So _you_ say! How come you know so much, huh?"

Treize turned his head and gazed out the window at the dying sun. Duo was right, Trowa was late; he too was beginning to worry about him, but Trowa was a strong fighter, so they all needed to just be patient. "I know so much because I was once a shinigami myself ... not one that fought mind you. I was a scientist. I never passed the tests, but my mind was so sharp they felt it a shame to let me go back to the slums of the Rukongai. So, I was sent to help develop tools for the shinigami to use. That was when I stumbled across a method of affixing one's soul to their zanpakutou. I stupidly wrote it down and before I knew it the formula went missing. I never meant any harm ... I just -- I thought I was helping, but my smarts got the better of me."

Heero's eyes narrowed as he looked upon the man whom had caused so much suffering in his life. It amazed him that everything boiled down to one simple tiny sheet of paper. "You should have been more careful." Treize didn't respond, he just covered his face with one hand. Heero snorted in disgust.

"Heero," Duo began, a warning tone in his voice.

"I can't forgive him. If he hadn't written that down you wouldn't have died. So much -- would never have happened."

"It might. Heero, you don't know that his plans were what started the coup. It could have happened even without it." Duo rolled his eyes as Heero continued to glare at Treize. "Anyway, I wonder what really is keeping Trowa."

-----

Laurie stepped into the great hall of the eleventh gotei. Before her stood at least fifty strong and eager shinigami, willing to throw down their lives for her cause. She smiled to herself, as that same tingle from before grew in intensity. These people were hers to command, the time for the coup had finally arrived, and there was one ace she had recently hid up her sleeve. One thing that would throw her opposition off. She turned her overly bright eyes to the man who was standing silently by the wall. She inclined her head as a signal for him to get going on his mission, and as he walked past her she whispered to him, "Don't forget." 

"I haven't." His sharp green eyes spotted the top of a limp blonde head off in one of the adjoining rooms, causing his pace to pick up as he left.

"Noin!"

The young woman came scurrying up to her leader and kneeled with her head lowered. "Yes, captain?"

"Follow him. Make certain he follows through -- any hesitation and you report it to me. I'll make sure young Winner suffers greatly for his lover's mistakes." 

"Understood."

Laurie then turned to her awaiting audience. "Fellow shinigami! We have long awaited this moment ... the time for the coup is now upon us! Tonight at midnight we will commence our ingenious operation! Anyone who is against us will suffer. Remember that! Only six hours before we set out, please rest up and prepare yourselves for battle!"

Thunderous applause and shouts filled the room as she stepped down from the small stage at the end of the room. She turned to Zechs who was staring out the doorway after the slight figure which was opening a gate to travel to Earth. "Laurie,"

"Hmm?"

"I -- maybe I should have gone instead. To make sure that Trowa goes through with his mission."

"No." Her answer was flat, and held little emotion. She wasn't a fool, she had seen his eyes wondering, but Laurie wanted him next to her, she wanted his face to be the first one she looked up at as she took over the seat of the leader of all shinigami -- the first gotei's captain's seat. And of course, Zechs would then lead the Center 46. It was only natural that _he_ be the only one above her.

"I simply am concerned that she might not --"

"She _will_. I have complete faith in her." Zechs tried to hide his worry, but he could feel it showing on his face; however, if Laurie noticed it, she didn't let on. She seemed to be too wrapped up in the thought of the absolute power which she would soon hold.

-----

Trowa paused on a rooftop only a short distance from Duo's home. What was he to do? He didn't want to kill his two friends, he couldn't do it. That was out of the question, but they had Quatre. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the Winners had no idea that their only son had been taken hostage, and they wouldn't have believed a street punk like him if he told them. Especially since Laurie was of a noble family as well. Even if he told them what was happening, there was no way he could save Quatre, and she had promised extreme suffering if he failed in any way.

He wiped the few tears from his green eyes and jumped over the next few rooftops to Duo's house. There was no other choice for him. He _had_ to do it. Duo's front door slowly swung open to reveal Heero standing before him. "Trowa?" Trowa inclined his head slowly and then pressed past him and into the living room.

"We were growing worried." Treize's voice dropped off as he took in the expression upon the young man's face. "Trowa, what is it?" 

"Forgive me." He unsheathed his zanpakutou and swung violently in the direction of Duo. Heero moved to push him out of the way, but was instead shoved by Treize who had thrown himself between the zanpakutou and Duo. There was a soft grunt which escaped Treize's mouth as Trowa stepped backward with a horrified expression.

Treize smirked as he staggered a bit. "They got to you didn't they?" 

"I -- I ..."

"I have to admit that this girl is tougher than we first thought." With an agonized groan, Treize fell to his knees. His vision was blurred and his whole body was screaming in pain.

"Treize!" Duo grabbed onto his shoulders and held him up.

"I'm okay, really ... he didn't hit anything vital. But the question now is, what are you going to do?" Trowa turned to hide the pain on his face. He felt helpless, and he knew that Quatre was going to die by the hands of that evil woman. 

"I --"

"You couldn't do it -- could you?" Everyone turned to see Noin standing in the doorway, a smug look upon her normally sweet face.

Trowa threw himself at her and grabbed onto her communicator. "If you tell them that I couldn't do it ... I swear to you I _will_ kill you with my own two hands." His green eyes bore into her own and she nodded slowly. Hesitating momentarily, Trowa slowly removed his hand from her communicator and allowed her to contact Laurie.

"He's done it."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." 

"Excellent ... return then." The soft buzzing filled the silence of the room as everyone waited to see what was going to happen next.

Trowa helped her stand and then turned to face Heero and Duo. "They have Quatre." Those words were like throwing a bucket of ice water over Heero. The anger he had felt over his old friend's obvious betrayal quickly left him, and he understood why Trowa had not said 'no' to Laurie.

"How long do we have?" Heero mumbled, barely able to rein in his emotions.

"Not long." Noin's voice surprised everyone. They had all expected her to run from them back to Soul Society and warn Laurie. "I have my own reasons for wanting to help you. She -- Laurie -- she took Zechs from me. You see, I was who his family wanted him to marry before she came along. They chose her over me because she's from a noble family. I'm merely from one of the upper levels of the Rukongai. I joined Laurie because of him, and have been pretending to fully agree with her behavior and beliefs."

Duo's blood was beginning to boil. He wanted to just run in and fight Laurie, and he would have darted out the door had Heero's voice not broken the momentary silence. "What do you think we should do?"

"Give me your zanpakutou." Duo glanced at him, silently questioning whether they should trust her or not. Heero nodded.

"Fine, here." The two boys tentatively gave their swords up. "Now what?" Duo asked impatiently.

"We come up with a plan."

As they gathered closer to discuss a possible plan, WuFei burst into the house. "Duo! Duo!" He panted heavily as he came to a screeching stop inches from Duo. "It's ... your father -- he's ..." 

"What?" Duo grabbed onto WuFei's shoulders and began to shake him violently. "What's wrong WuFei?"

"He's missing. No one knows where he is." Duo slumped against the wall for support. His mind was spinning and he felt as if his world were crumbling around him. He had to find him.

"Duo,"

"She probably got him." Noin supplied what everyone had already been thinking. WuFei's eye brow raised as he gazed at the black clad figure standing beside Heero.

"Who are you?"

"You can see me?"

"Yeah." Heero and Noin exchanged puzzled looks as they tried to think of why they sensed no spiritual energy from WuFei, yet he could see Noin in her shinigami form. "Why? Am I not supposed to?"

"I -- well, no. I'm kind of a ... spirit."

"You mean a -- ghost?" Noin nodded and WuFei turned white as the color rushed from his face. "Yuy?"

"It's alright WuFei, she's friendly." Slowly the color returned to his face, but there was a mistrusting look left in its wake. "Look, we don't have enough time to explain what's going on. Either stay or leave."

"I'm staying." Gently, WuFei supported Duo and helped him back into the living room. Once there, Duo pulled away and walked back toward the front door.

"Duo?"

"I've got to find my dad." Noin ran after him and grabbed tightly onto his arm. "Let go!"

"If you go out there now, and if it is true that Laurie's men have your father -- they'll know that I was lying and anything we do after that will be pointless. Quatre will be killed and numerous others will die. Do you want that on your conscious?"

"Well ... no, but my dad!"

"He'll be fine. It's only a tactic. She's trying to save humans, not kill them."

"But --" He cast a longing look at the door and then reluctantly rejoined the group. "If anything happens to him I'm blaming you." The two entered the small room as Heero was speaking with Trowa.

"... but they'll be expecting something like that."

"Heero, we don't have many options, and Quatre's life is still on the line." Heero sighed and scratched his head absently as he paced a few steps away from Trowa.

"Our best bet is to wait until they begin their attack. That's when Laurie and Zechs will be alone. I can handle Zechs ... you two go after that witch." Noin gritted her teeth as she thought of the things which Laurie had obviously done with _her_ Zechs.

"Gladly." Duo spat out between clinched teeth. Heero cast a worried glance in his direction, but then smirked realizing that it was silly to worry about Duo when he was going to be right by his side. This wasn't like the last time. He would be right there, protecting him if he needed it.

"How long before the attack begins?" Heero questioned softly.

"Midnight, Soul Society time. Basically in twenty minutes."

"You and Trowa go ahead. We'll be right behind you." Noin and Trowa nodded then left. "Duo,"

"I love you too, Heero." WuFei turned his head as the two lovers embraced. Even though he knew that Duo would never be his, it still hurt to watch them together. "Hey, WuFei," Duo's arms wrapped around his friend and hugged him tightly. "Listen to me. Whatever happens, I want you to go on. Live a good and full life with a person who loves you for you. He or she is out there, I know it. Please ... do that for me." The only thing he could do was to nod in response, as a sickening feeling that something horrible was about to happen settled within his heart.

-----

Trowa set the two zanpakutou before Laurie. He bowed low and then stepped back from her. "Excellent. These are the zanpakutou of legend ... the two strongest swords ever forged within a shinigami soul." She motioned to a man standing near her and he left the room only to return a few moments later with a squirming Quatre held within his strong hands.

"Trowa!" Trowa couldn't breathe. There were bruises all over Quatre's body, and none of the cuts had been tended. He wanted to lash out at Laurie, but knew that it was too soon to do so. He had to wait until Heero and Duo had arrived.

"Kill him." Laurie turned her back on the man as he dragged Quatre from the room.

"Quatre!" Trowa ran after them, but was stopped by two large shinigami who had been guarding the door. "**Quatre**!" He struggled against the two men, but to no avail. He could hear the person he loved screaming for him from down the hallway. Sadness filling every inch of him, he turned with rage to face Laurie. "You lied!" His roar echoed off the bamboo walls and caused Laurie to wince.

"I didn't lie. You didn't kill them ... these zanpakutou are still ordinary swords. You didn't think that I wouldn't be able to tell when I touched them -- did you?" She slowly walked toward Trowa who was still fighting to get free from his captors. "When the soul is bound to the zanpakutou, you can hear its name -- no matter what. I heard only silence when I touched the swords. So -- I am _not_ the liar here." Her smile was cold and uncaring as she slowly drew her own sword. "Do you want to live -- or die?" Trowa growled deep within his chest as he finally managed to free his arms. He lunged at his tormentor, but missed as she gracefully sidestepped him. "I guess it's die." She raised her sword to strike at her prey, but as it fell, another sword blocked it's path. Startled, Laurie gazed at the owner of the opposing zanpakutou. "Zechs?" 

"I don't believe that killing was part of the deal." He turned to the two men who had been holding Trowa. "Lock him up with young Winner, and bring Sally Po back here to tend their wounds." 

"How dare you." Laurie hissed. "I trusted you, and this is how you repay me? Not with loyalty, but by undermining me!" 

"I'm not undermining you. I'm simply watching out for your best interests. If the followers see that you are so eager to kill -- I'm sure you would lose many of them." Zechs forced his eyes to remain calm as he gazed down at her. One slip could possibly send her over the edge, and an insane woman was not something he could deal with alone -- especially when she is as strong as Laurie. 

"You're right. I should have thought that through a bit better. How goes the raids?"

"Smoothly. We've secured the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, ninth, and twelfth gotei. In a few hours I believe that we will have everything under our control." 

As if someone had flipped a switch within her, the manic look which had been in Laurie's eyes vanished. She smiled brightly at the prospect of being one step closer to her goal. "Excellent! I'm rather hungry -- would you mind fetching some food for us?"

Zechs bowed deeply. "Of course, my dear." Grateful to be free of her company for even a few moments, he quickly left the room in search of food.

-----

Duo poked his head around the corner. "Clear." 

"This is odd. I expected more people." Noin gazed at the empty street with a puzzled expression. Normally there would be patrols walking everywhere, but no one was around.

"Maybe they were ready for Laurie." Heero supplied quietly.

"Possibly. We better get moving -- Trowa's there by himself." Everyone nodded and moved closer to the eleventh gotei's headquarters. Once there Noin left the group and went in search of Zechs. "I hope she finds him." Heero nodded. Something wasn't right. The empty streets, the quiet hush of the headquarters, just where was everyone? They crept toward the great room, and upon arriving they were greeted by the same large guards which had held Trowa. "Which one you want?"

"The left." It took two punches, one to the stomach and another to the jaw, for Heero to defeat his opponent. Duo on the other hand had a different approach that made Heero's stomach turn. "How could you do that ... to another guy?" 

"Well, I know how much it hurts -- besides, he was huge. I can't take him down with a punch." Heero chuckled softly and followed close behind into the snake's lair. "Hey Laurie!" His loud yell caused Heero to roll his eyes in exasperation.

"What?" Duo smirked and shrugged nonchalantly.

"You two will never change, huh?" Laurie's smooth voice broke through the pair's light comical exchange.

Duo's demeanor changed the moment she had spoken. "No, but apparently you did -- or rather, you never did and you're just a damn good liar." Gone was the jovial boy, replaced with a dangerous man who wore a dark smile and spoke with a menacing tone.

"You always were smart, Duo." Duo's eyes turned dangerous as he glared at the evil woman. "But not fast ... I'm afraid you were a bit late. You see -- your friends are dead." Heero had to hold onto Duo to keep him from blindly attacking Laurie. 

"You bitch! How could you? Let me go, Heero ... I'm gonna _kill_ her."

"Duo, calm down! She's bluffing."

"Am I?" The two boys exchanged worried glances. If they made a miscalculation, it could cost not only their lives, but many others' as well. "You know boys, you don't have to fight me -- join me instead."

"Join you!" Duo was disgusted by the mere thought of being a part of destroying the world.

"There's nothing wrong with it. I'm trying to save everyone ... why can't you understand that?"

"Because, you'll throw off the delicate balance of the three worlds if we allow you to continue."

Laurie's soft laugh sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Her eyes were slowly regaining their manic glint, and her smile caused even Heero to shudder. She held up the two zanpakutou and allowed her eyes to slowly roam over their surfaces. "They're quite magnificent. Do you know the legend behind them?"

Duo decided that she was definitely going insane, if not already there. As a ploy to gain some more time to figure out how to get their swords back, he gave into her apparent need to fill them in on the history of their zanpakutou. "Legend?" 

"Yes. The legend goes that only two souls whose destiny is intertwined will be able to call upon these dual zanpakutou. You see, these two souls always find one another, and once they consummate their love the swords will grow in power. Then they can be merged." 

"Merged?" Both boys questioned simultaneously.

Laurie laughed bitterly at their ignorance of their own zanpakutou. "I'm amazed that you've survived as long as you have, Yuy. Yes, merged. These swords and their users' spirits can be merged to create an incredibly strong fighter. You see they are the exact opposite of each other, but then you knew that already. I should hope so at least.

"This sword," she held up the white zanpakutou, "this one is life. Seikousen. It can actually heal wounds if used properly, well the wounds of its user -- and its lover." Duo and Heero exchanged a look that even Laurie could interpret. "Yes, it is likely that Seikousen is the reason you were reborn so quickly, Duo. And the reason you held onto your shinigami powers. Then there is this one, Shikousen. Death. It's an amazingly strong zanpakutou that has an unfortunate side affect -- it can bring misery to its user. Most likely the reason your depression lasted so long, Heero." 

"My depression lasted for as long as it did because I died the day Duo did! But that's something you'd never understand. You would have to have a heart first." Heero's voice was soft, but the effect was not lost on the listener. Laurie's eyes widened briefly then returned to their hooded state. It was impossible to read her, which made Heero nervous.

"Yes, well ... my point is that when they merge they combine their most powerful strengths. They become an invincible force."

"That's why you want them. So you can rule without anyone challenging you."

"Very good, Duo. Like I said ... you always were bright. Not very good in bed ... but bright."

"Hey!"

"Maybe it's just because you don't have the right equipment." Heero smirked as he saw pure outrage explode across Laurie's face. That was the reaction he was hoping for, so she was getting impatient with them. If she was, then why did she feel the need to prattle on about their swords? He mentally groaned. She was obviously stalling for some reason, but he couldn't figure out what it could be.

Laurie composed herself, and waved off the joke. "Now, now ... let's not be crude."

"Crude? You're the one that started it, hag." Duo's face scrunched up into his angry expression, but his look only caused Laurie to laugh.

"I'm sorry to cut this short boys, but really -- I do have a schedule to keep to. I'm sure you noticed that my team has been steadily securing every area in the Seireitei."

"That's why the streets were empty." Duo's remark was followed by a soft grunt from Heero.

"Looks like everything is going smoothly then. Just one last thing to do." While they had been talking, two more shinigami had quietly entered the room, their presence carefully and skillfully masked. They walked up behind Heero and Duo, and promptly stuck a long needle into each of them. Both boys crumpled to the floor, their bodies going numb. Grinning broadly, Laurie bent down close to Duo. "Sorry about the discomfort, but it'll be temporary. We have to affix your soul to your zanpakutou." Her voice sounded as if she were a pure ray of sunshine on a bright spring day. It made Duo want to claw her eyes out.

Heero's mind was racing. What had she done to them, and how could they not know that two other shinigami had been in the room? It just wasn't possible, unless ... that was why she had been talking to them. He had been right, but unfortunately he hadn't been as alert as he had believed himself to be. He had failed to protect both of them. There had to be a way out of this, but the one thing that was stopping him was that he couldn't move his body. He couldn't even see Duo. Were they going to die like this?

"I'll not make any mistakes this time. Plus, Aya isn't here anymore to want you, Heero. She got too whiney so I did away with her the other night." Laurie lifted both zanpakutou and brought them to where Duo and Heero knelt. She mumbled a few words then spread a jelly like goo upon their surfaces. "Don't laugh, he named it 'soul glue.' I never understood Treize, but I would dearly like to wish him thank you for this. All it takes is a simple demon art and this special mixture to affix a soul to a zanpakutou. Fairly easy, right? Well the tricky part was making the glue." Laurie grinned in a somewhat girlish manner then shook her head as if trying to refocus herself. "I suppose I shouldn't delay any longer -- farewell ..." With a satisfied smile upon her face, she skewered them both with their respective zanpakutou. A strong wave of energy emanated from the swords which lifted her off the ground and slammed her against the far wall. She had to quickly cover her face as a brilliant flash of light filled the room. When the light faded away, a tall man stood before her with long flowing chocolate brown hair. His eyes, almond in shape, were two different shades of blue, one much deeper than the other. Laurie quickly realized that his features were a mixture of the two who had been kneeling before her only moments earlier. "Who --?" Without saying a word, the figure raised a sword of brilliant white with an onyx hilt high into the air. Laurie had only enough time to shriek in terror as it came down upon her.

Zechs and Noin came running into the room just as her body was rendered lifeless. Slowly, the tall figure turned to face the two new people. "Do you wish the same fate as her?" Noin's eyebrows drew together in slight confusion at the sound of two separate voices coming from the one person.

"You're Seikousen and Shikousen. Am I right?" The man nodded. "We're friends. She was the only enemy." The joined zanpakutou turned its gaze upon Zechs who was still staring at Laurie's body.

"I couldn't control her. At first I agreed with what she believed, because I did see the reasoning behind it, but I didn't really think everything through. Once I discovered that it meant we would throw off the balance of life -- I wanted out. But I was stuck."

"Where are Heero and Duo?" The zanpakutou closed his eyes tightly and began to glow a bright white, which Noin and Zechs were forced to protect their eyes from. When the light subsided, there were two figures standing before them. One looked like Heero and the other like Duo. Noin smiled brightly as relief spread through her at the sight of the two boys, but then she noticed that there was something slightly different about them.

The one who looked like Duo stepped forward. "We are not Heero and Duo. I am Shikousen, Heero's zanpakutou. Their souls are sealed within these blades, and the only way for them to be removed is for us to disappear."

"Well, is that a problem? I'm not quite sure I understand ..." Zechs asked a bit confused as to why they couldn't simply bring the boys back. Even if they couldn't be shinigami anymore, he'd be damned if they ended up in the Rukongai after everything they had done to help.

It was Seikousen's turn to speak. Calmly, he moved to stand beside his partner sword. "They've requested something, but only your sister can help."

"But my sister ... she's dead. I -- I killed her myself."

"No you didn't." Zechs gazed down at Noin, who turned loving eyes up to him. "I contacted Sally Poe shortly after we left. She's been hiding in a back room at the fourth gotei since then."

"Noin ..." He scooped her up into his arms and held her tightly, quietly whispering 'thank you's into her ear.

"You must go and fetch her. Hurry."

-----

"What's this all about?" Relena gasped as she entered the great room. "Oh my ... did she --?"

"I'm afraid so, but their zanpakutou refused to help her." Zechs squeezed his younger sister's small shoulder gently; he could tell that this all upset her greatly, and he hadn't forgotten that he was partly to blame.

"I see. And so you two must be the famed Seikousen and Shikousen?" The two men nodded. "What was the request?"

"That Heero gets to live on Earth." 

Shikousen cast a confused look in Seikousen's direction. "You mean as a mortal, right? Because I thought that we had agreed that --"

"No _we_ didn't. And I still don't think it's possible." Shikousen glared at him and crossed his arms against his chest.

"Fine, be like that. I won't disappear then and you can just be live by yourself." He tilted his head up in the air with a triumphant smirk, causing Seikousen to glare at him.

"Why do you always act like this?" 

"Because." Shikousen turned and stuck his tongue out, which was promptly caught by Seikousen's fingers. "Ow!" 

"Boys!" Relena stamped her foot on the tatami mats and sighed. They were acting exactly like their counterparts, which shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, but it was tiresome nonetheless. "I'm not certain what you're arguing over, but it would be nice if you shared with the rest of us."

"Shikousen, no Duo, wants Heero to be left alone. He wants him to be mortal." Seikousen let go of Shikousen's tongue and rolled his eyes in exasperation at the over exaggerated behavior of his friend.

"I -- I'm not certain if that can be done. I know of only one other case where a shinigami lived and died on Earth as a mortal, but it was quite difficult to erase all existence of him -- and I gather that is what you are requesting?"

"Yes. I know it's a tall order, but -- you can state that we died in the fight against Laurie, which is partly true." Seikousen smirked which earned a grin from his partner. "Oh, one more thing. You must destroy all evidence of this 'soul glue' and let everyone know exactly why Laurie died." Relena nodded in agreement and then watched with a heavy heart as the two zanpakutou returned to their swords. 

"Quickly round up all the traitors and call a meeting in the captain's hall. I have to announce the death of Heero Yuy." The guards which had accompanied Relena rushed out to give the orders to the police force of the second gotei.

"Umm," Noin approached Relena, nervously wringing her hands together.

"Yes, Noin?"

"Please forgive me!" She quickly dropped into a deep bow on the floor and waited for her former mentor to grant her forgiveness.

"Stand up." Hesitantly, Noin rose to her feet, but continued to stare at the floor. "Look at me." Doubt heavy in her gaze, she slowly raised her grey-blue eyes up to meet Relena's clear blue. "You did what you had to do. You watched over my brother -- the man whom you love. I cannot find fault in that." Noin's heart leapt into her throat from the joy which shot through her body.

"Bless you."

"Hmm, I'll make your life tough though -- if you don't become my sister-in-law."

"You have nothing to fear, little sister ... I came to realize some time ago that it was Noin whom I truly loved, and not Laurie. However, right now is not the time to be talking of weddings. We need to clean up this mess."

Relena gasped as a lean arm draped itself casually across her shoulders. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"Duo! How -- where ..."

"We were inside of our zanpakutou. I realize that doesn't make much sense, but ... that's where we were." Heero moved to stand beside a brightly smiling Duo. He reached out and brushed his hand against his lover's who quickly pulled him into a fierce bear hug.

"I thought we had actually died." 

Heero slowly wrapped his arms around Duo's body, soaking up every last bit of warmth he could from the man he loved. For a moment it had seemed as if they had died, everything had gone black until a blinding light had appeared before them. It was at that moment Seikousen had appeared and told them both to sit tight and everything would be all right. Relena smiled and began to gently urge Noin and Zechs to leave the room. "Boys, go back down to Earth ... I'll take care of everything -- and Heero, Treize will be in contact with you about a permanent gigai. It'll allow you to live as a mortal. May the two of you have a wonderful life together."

"We will, right Hee-chan?" Instead of answering, Heero hungrily claimed Duo's mouth and kissed him until he was weak-kneed. "I guess that's a yes."

_Legal stuf ... Bleach and Gundam Wing don't belong to me, they belong to Kubo Tite, Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino respectively._


End file.
